Sunset's Shrink
by Tsubasa Kya
Summary: Cyborgs, lovers, the mafia, best friends, the police, childhood crushes, crazy scientists, pretend babies, kidnappers... this story pretty much has it all.
1. First Chapter

**This is the only time I will say it for this story. I don't own anything. **

**Sincerely,  
TK**

Sunset's Shrink 

"And how long have you been having these dreams?" Kali Onigumo asked. She was a Psychiatrist, her patient was a girl named Kikyou Motshuria. Kikyou looked just like Kali's daughter. The two looked almost completely identical; except Kikyou had brown eyes and Kagome, her daughter, had dark blue eyes. Both had long black hair cut to their waist, the tan skin of Japanese, and stood five feet six in height. Neither was related in anyway.

Kali was thirty six, married (somewhat unhappily – she didn't like that her husband wouldn't get a job and she knew he was having sex with whores), and had long since graduated college to be a Psychiatrist, forming her office at her home, a shrine given to her in the will after her mother passed on with her grandfather in a car accident many years before.

Kali had started the office a when she graduated college and received the shrine. Her son Souta, age seventeen, was living with Kali and her husband as well, and her daughter lived with her too, though Kagome was hoping to move out soon, since she'd just turned eighteen a few days before. She was looking for an apartment to live in for the next few years of high school.

Kikyou was a new patient for Kali. She'd been having nightmares recently, and her grandmother had sent her to see a Psychiatrist. As far as this session could determine, Kikyou and her little sister had lived with her grandmother, the Mayor of Sunset, since they were very young. Kikyou was eighteen, almost nineteen. She was still in high school considering graduation didn't come until age twenty one at the soonest. Kikyou had nightmares of a man in a black trench coat holding a gun to her head, though she did not know why.

"I've had them for as long as I can remember. I don't remember a night where I didn't have the dream." Kikyou said, her chocolate brown eyes staring out the window of Kali's office. The room used to be her grandfather's prayer room/bedroom, but Kali had transformed it into an office.

"Do you know who the man in the dream is?" Kali asked, sitting comfortably in the chair next to the divan that she'd placed strategically in front of the window for her patients. Most of her patients, new and old, seemed to congregate to the divan, but for the rare few, Kali had other furniture in the room. There was a set of two chairs in front of her large oak desk, a love seat in the back of the room, with a chair next to it.

She had another room that she often used for her Group Counseling sessions, where there was furniture in every variety placed strategically about. That room was just off the office, and after remodeling a bit the previous year, it was the way out of the office. You couldn't get to the office without going through that room.

However, Kali hadn't fully removed the fact that the shrine was just that. A shrine. She'd added on a new section to the house, which were three small overnight prayer rooms. Some people, she knew, liked to spend the night fasting at a shrine. Mostly it was older people who often left donations for the shrine's continuing prosperity. This had brought Kali into debt right off the bat, but she'd long since paid that off and had stored away a good amount of money since she'd started.

It wasn't like the shrine was completely a dead run. It really didn't make money, but also it didn't lose all that much to maintain it. With all the new patients she was getting, she'd decided to expand her business and put an add in the paper telling people she was on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

The only requirement to that was one half hour's notice before the patient came. Although this left her rather tired, she was still getting more business this way. She still slept at night, minus the occasional patient's call. Even though she was always on call, her patients mostly only came from seven thirty AM to nine PM, and she still was able to make room for her family.

"No, I don't know him... I just know that he's going to pull the trigger, and then I wake up screaming..." Kikyou was silent, but Kali knew this type of silence. She could see Kikyou grating her teeth together; her fingers were tirelessly wringing the bottom of her shirt. She was debating with herself about whether or not to say more. Kali waited, knowing from experience that she would most likely continue. And she did continue. "The man... shoots Kaede... and grandmother... before he points the gun at me."

Kaede was Kikyou's younger sister. The buzzer sounded. The session was over. Kali stood and went to the desk, shutting it off. Kikyou stood. "Thank you...for your time, Doctor Onigumo."

Kali smiled at the other woman who looked so like her. "Shall I schedule you another session?" She asked. It was Kikyou's first time. At Kikyou's nod, she looked at her schedule on the desk, quickly flipping and glancing at the pages. "Is next week, Tuesday, at three o'clock good for you?"

Kikyou bit her lip, and then dug in her purse for her own calendar. She was sure that there was no school that day, but she had to be sure. "Yes... That will be fine."

Kali nodded and stepped out from behind the desk. "Well then, Miss Motshuria... I'll walk you to the door. Feel free to call me if you need me sooner than Tuesday, no matter what time it is." She handed Kikyou a business card after quickly writing her cell phone number on it.

"Thank you, Doctor Onigumo, again. I was dubious when I came here earlier... I thought you would be like the other doctors I have gone to see... But you're not. You put your patients before yourself... Thank you."

"You're quite welcome, Miss Motshuria."

"Um...are you related to Kagome Higurashi?" Kikyou asked hesitantly.

Kali nodded. "She's my daughter. Are you a friend from school?"

"No... not exactly. She tends to stick with her own clique. I was just curious. I'd heard a rumor. How come she's got a different name than you?"

"She and my son go by my maiden name because of certain complications."

Kikyou said her goodbyes and Kali went back into her office. Her cell phone was ringing from its stand on her desk. "BZZT You have an incoming call. BZZT You have an incoming call. BZZT You have –"

Kali answered it. "Hello. Doctor Onigumo speaking." She said.

"Hello, honey." The voice on the other end said. He sounded amused. Of course, he probably was drunk at the bar, so of course he was amused. He always was when he was eyeing some whore. Naraku came home around eight thirty otherwise, even if she was there, with a whore and slept with the woman in his room.

Kali hadn't slept with him since the year after their honeymoon, just after college. They'd gotten into a fight with each other and since then hadn't even slept in the same room together. To spite her, he seemed to have a new woman every day.

"Hello, Naraku." Kali said, using her 'pleasant' voice that she always used with patients. "Did you need something?"

"Nawh... Jus' thoot I'd call you."

How very considerate. She thought. You can't even speak right. But she didn't voice her thoughts. "Well that was sweet of you." She sat down at her desk, wishing for some courage to divorce him. She knew he'd beat her children if she even brought up the subject though. He beat her if she complained he was sleeping with sluts, and often accused her of sleeping with her patients. She wasn't though. She'd tried divorcing him once, but that was a no go. And he knew just how to hit so that they didn't bruise much.

"I wan' more money." He told her. It was only four PM and he was already slammed. Damn. "Bring me" Kali's office phone rang.

"Hold on, one moment, alright, Naraku? I'll be right back." She set the phone down on the desk and picked up her office phone. "Sunset Shrine Psychiatry, Doctor Onigumo speaking, how may I help you?" She said into the receiver.

A pleasant deep buoyant voice spoke from the other end. "Ah, Doctor Onigumo, this is Haru Nokugami, and I would like to make an appointment with you."

"Alright, would this be your first visit to a Psychiatrist?" Kali asked.

"Actually, the appointment would be for my sons, but yes this would be their first." Haru Nokugami said. "Your ad in the paper said you do group counseling as well."

"Yes, that is correct, sir. Group Counseling lasts two hours, and a single Psychiatry Session, which would be meeting with only one person, lasts only one hour."

"Good, good. I'd like to schedule them for that two hour one."

"Alright, then. If it is Group Counseling, then I have a slot you can fill in a half an hour, if you can make it here."

"We can be there. How much will it cost?"

"Two hundred dollars for Group."

"Okay, I'll bring my check book."

"Alright, then. When you get here, we'll have you fill out some forms and then you can leave your sons with me for the allotted time or else wait in the waiting room."

"Okay, I'm on my way now then, since my sons just arrived home."

Kali hung up when she realized that Haru had. She picked her cell phone up again. "Naraku, I have a session now. I'm sorry; I'm unable to come bring you money. I'll send Kagome with money if you really need it."

"Be sure you do," Naraku warned. Seconds later Kali hung up when she realized that Naraku had hung up. She sighed and waited for her patients to come. When they arrived, she brushed off the front of her suit skirt and made sure her hair was perfect in its bun.

Once she'd done that, she went to greet them at the door. While Haru and Kali went through paperwork, Haru's sons waited in the group counseling room. Once paper work was set, Haru left to return in two hours for his sons, and the two boys entered the office, sitting as far apart as they could.

Kagome glared at her brother. "Souta, you'd better give me those keys back or I'll pound you into the ground!" She yelled at him. But he'd already started the car up and drove off in her red car. Well, okay, technically it was both of theirs but she was the one who used it more often. She angrily walked home. Oh he was so going to be dead.

Kagome wore a pair of meant-to-be-baggy black jeans, and a tight black shirt that said 'If you love him let him go, if he doesn't come back, he's with me' in red sparkly block letters. Her hair was down and wavy as always, and she wore red 'heartbreaker' nail polish on her hands and feet (upon which were sandals) along with lip-gloss, and a darker red eye shadow with heavy dark colors of make up and eye liner. She wore on each of her wrists (just like Souta did) a bracelet.

Unlike Souta though, she didn't wear bracelets that had spikes, hers were silver chains with tiny bells connected to them to jingle and jangle. She wore a choker of the same kind with a black velvet connector (which the chain was connected to for safety purposes like so you don't get pinched) and connected to the chain was a bunch of tiny bells just like on the bracelets. The only difference was the tiny blue metal star on the choker that hung down slightly from a chain.

She also had anklets just like her bracelets and a belt chain that belted on around the waist and had an extra piece to the chain that hung down on the side as a loop on one side and on the other side had a string of extra belt (so that people of all skinny or fatness can wear it) hung down on the other side with a blue metal star matching the choker's star.

Kagome's ears were pierced four times each, and the silver earrings set were one high up in the tip of her ear and then three down to the side. Each of the earrings were connected with a chain that started at the top earring and connected to each of the others, and then becoming a dangly earring at the bottom of her earlobes with a tiny bell hanging off it so when she moved her head her ears tinkled.

There were literally hundreds of bells on Kagome if she chose to wear the whole set. Mainly she just wore the bracelets, earrings, and choker unless she was getting all dressy. Her mother had given her the set when she'd turned sixteen, because she'd been eyeing it for a year.

"I'm going to kill him..." she chanted over and over. "I'm going to run him through a meat grinder!" When she got home, she slammed the front door open. "SOUTA! I'm going to kill you! You know that right?" She screamed in the front hall while slamming the door shut again. Her voice echoed through the entire shrine, allowing everyone within a 100-yard radius to know someone was really pissed off.

A figure dressed in black and red clothes with chains adorning his person ran by, going as fast as he could for the back of the house. Kagome threw off her shoes and gave chase. When she saw where he was heading she sped up, tackling him just after he'd slammed the door to their mother's group counseling room. "Jerk, leaving me at school like that!" She said, punching him in the face.

He pushed her off of him and the two rolled around for a moment, both trying to be the last one up. Every so often one would get a punch in until Kali stopped them. "Kagome, Souta! Enough!" She was standing in the doorway to her office, looking upset and hurt that they would fight. The two teens got up guiltily.

"Sorry, Mama..." Kagome said, at the same time that Souta said, "Mama, I'm sorry..."

Kali looked at them both with a stern face for a moment, and then her look softened. "I want you both to apologize and then be quiet. I've got a counseling session, and I don't want you disturbing it." She went back into her office shutting the door quietly.

Kagome looked at Souta and he looked at her. "Psh, as if I'll apologize to a jerk like you." She said, rolling her eyes and walking away. It would be accurate to say that Souta and Kagome, for all their fighting that they often did, were closer than most siblings. They told each other almost everything, and would be considered best friends by most people's terms.

Souta grumbled. "You got me in trouble. I aint gonna apologize to you! The keys are hanging up on the hook in the kitchen."

"Cool. Wanna go out with Sango, Miroku and me to the Rave later?" Kagome asked as though nothing had happened.

Souta went into the living room, which looked very much like a waiting room at a doctor's office. Their mother had made it that way for parents or children or spouses who wanted to wait while their family had their session. He hopped onto one of the couches by the T.V. and sat to watch cartoons. "Sure I guess. Hey, wanna know what?"

"Hmm?" Kagome asked, jumping over the back of the couch and landing on Souta's gut. He didn't complain; it was a normal occurrence, but he did make the traditional 'oomph' sound one makes when you quickly have the air run out of your body.

"I asked Beverly out." Souta tried to get his usual breathing back to normal for a moment while Kagome stared intently at the T.V.

"And what did she say?" She responded absently.

"No..."

"Sucks to be you."

"Yah it does. What time are you goin'?"

"Probably five thirty, six o'clock. Somewhere around there."

"Alright. So's I know."

"Mhm. I'm pickin' Miroku up on the way."

"When're you gonna get a guy?" Souta said, irritated somewhat. "The car's sposed to be mine, so you have to get a guy so he can pick you up."

"Heh. That's what you think." Kagome hopped off his stomach, standing. "It's comin' with me when I get an apartment."

He told her, "I don't think so," as though she shouldn't even consider it. For him, the subject was not open for debate.

"I do; mama already said it was okay for me to take it." She gave him a smirk and tugged on her braid when it fell over her shoulder.

"What! No way!" Souta said, jumping up immediately.

"Way, because I'm gonna have to have a way to get to my job. I won't be able to walk like I can now. Not if I'm gonna continue school."

Souta narrowed his eyes at Kagome. "You lie."

Kagome laughed. "Yea, but you should have seen the look on your face! Ha!"

She left to go up to her room, doing a bit of her homework. Soon she had it done and was downstairs in the kitchen getting a soda from the fridge. She began heading for the living room when there was a knock on the front door so detoured to the door, popping the soda and taking a sip of the nice refreshing carbonated liquid as she opened the front door.

A man stood at the door with short black hair and laughing blue eyes lidded with long feminine lashes. He had high cheekbones and a prominent smile on his face, and was tall and wore a suit like the important businessmen on T.V. wore. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Yea?"

"I'm here to pick up my sons." He said, smiling. "I think I'm a smidge early though."

"Ah. I see. Come on then." She stood aside so that he could enter, and then led him to the living room. "This is our living room slash waiting room. When mama's done, she'll bring them in here." Kagome sat down on the black leather recliner, one leg going over the arm of the recliner, the other resting on the floor to rock the chair. "Souta, move your leg so I can see!" Kagome told him.

He flipped her the bird and Haru Nokugami frowned in disapproval. Kids these days. But unfortunately, or fortunately, they were not his children. "I'm gonna run you through a grinder if you don't move your dumb leg."

Haru took a seat in one of the lounge chairs, grabbing a magazine from the table nearby. Kagome noticed this and raised her eyebrows. So people really did look at magazines provided in lounges. She'd always thought they were for decoration.

"Shut the hell up, 'Gome. I'd kick your ass from here to the curb before you could so much as blink." Souta told her confidently.

"Souta!" Kali admonished, coming into the room just in time to hear him swear. Kagome snickered.

Souta stood and ducked his head in shame. "Sorry mama."

Kali sighed. "Stop swearing." She said and then rounded on Kagome. "And you! Stop egging him on."

"Okay, okay!" Kagome said.

Kali straightened up after that as Haru walked over, looking at the boys who stood next to Kali. "So, how was the session?" He asked Kali.

"Quiet. You were right; they didn't want to talk. But I'm sure we'll make progress." She turned once more to Kagome and Souta; Souta had sat back down. "Kagome, Souta; I want you to meet Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. They'll be coming here with you after school."

Kagome stood, taking a sip of her soda as she did. She spit it back out, coughing and laughing at the same time when she saw Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. She hadn't made the connection between their names until she saw them. Unfortunately for the nearest person (Sesshoumaru), all the drink that she unintentionally sprayed out landed on him.

"You guys!" She asked, laughing. "Hahahaha!"

"Kagome..." Her mother warned. "I don't believe this outburst is very necessary." She said, disapproving Kagome's laughing on the floor.

"Dumb broad." Inuyasha grumbled, while Sesshoumaru wiped the soda from his face. Only Sesshoumaru heard it and that was fine for the young silver haired boy.

Kagome still snickered at the two 'rich boys'. "I thought those two were supposed to be perfect!" She whispered to Souta and laughed again.

He snickered and whispered back, "Of course they are! They're the High-and-mighty-even-with-our-heads-up-our-butts Nokugami boys!"

Kali sighed. "Kagome and Souta, please! I've had enough for one evening already."

Kagome stopped laughing and rolled her eyes. "Fine. Yes, we know it is confidential shit, and yes we'll give them directions from the school to the shrine tomorrow." She put her hand on her hip and polished off the soda, looking at the clock.

"Kagome, do not cuss."

"Sorry... Oh man, Sango's gonna be ticked! I'm late and I've still gotta pick up Perv! What bad luck!" Kagome headed for the kitchen and grabbed the keys for the car from the hook, placing her empty can on the counter. She headed for the door, her bells jingling with each step. "Souta, are you comin' or what?"

Souta pecked Kali on the cheek. "Bye mom, we're gonna go to the Rave an' meet up with Thief and pick up the perv. We'll be back later." Then he chased after Kagome, who was already headed for the basement and the garage down there.

Inuyasha turned to Kali. "She's your daughter!"

Kali nodded. "Yes. Is she one of your friends?"

Inuyasha scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. "We're acquainted. I didn't know she was your daughter."

Kali chuckled. "Not many realize that."

Haru reached a hand out to Kali. "Well, thank you Doctor Onigumo. I'm very grateful to you for your help."

Kali shook the proffered hand. "I'm always available. I already gave you my cell phone number in case you are unable to reach me in my office. Call me if you need me."

Haru grinned. "Of course! I'm sure my sons enjoy your company!" He slapped Inuyasha on the back, who stumbled slightly from the force.

"Yeah, you keep thinking that pops. I'm going to wait in the car." Inuyasha grumbled and left. Sesshoumaru, Haru noticed, must have gone to wait in the car long before, because he was no longer in the room.

"I'll be in touch with you, Doctor Onigumo. Thank you for this service. As soon as my sons can resolve their differences with each other and stop fighting, things can go back to normal."

Kali walked Haru out and they shook hands once more.

"Dude, Souta you're a cheat!" Miroku yelled at the younger boy. Miroku Shishuni was nineteen and wore his black hair in a dragon's tail at the nape of his neck. He wore a baggy navy blue tee shirt that said 'Fook me now' on the front and 'Fook me later'on the back, in white bold letters and baggy pants with black tennis shoes.

He wore a cloth tied to his right hand and arm by a necklace with a cross hanging from it all the time, but he never told anyone why. His left eye was adorned with a black and blue puffy bruise and he had a split lip. He claimed the reason was because he groped someone, which was highly believable. He had two tiny gold hoop earrings in each ear.

"Yah whatever! How can I cheat at Darts?" Souta yelled in return.

"Hey, Miroku, that'll be twenty five cents to the cuss jar!" The counter man said. It cost a quarter for each swear word said in bottom two levels of the Rave, the only level that students were allowed on.

Kagome laughed. "Miroku, you're already down ten bucks! You should stop swearing."

Miroku grumbled and went and put a quarter in the over flowing cuss jar, then got a refill on his soda. All over the Rave, students from the local area were visiting with friends, playing pool with enemies, or doing homework in a safe environment. Some of these people who came here Kagome knew to have bad home lives.

She could recognize at least a fourth of the people there who went to see her mother who was publicly known in this area as 'Sunset's Shrink', but they didn't talk to her and she didn't really talk to them either. She stuck to her friends mostly, and those were Souta, Sango, Kohaku, and Miroku. She didn't go around telling people who saw what shrink. She wasn't a nark.

Miroku came back and sat in their booth again, where Sango and Kagome were playing chess. Souta was giving Sango hints at how to win, and Kagome was still winning. "Checkmate." Kagome said, grinning from ear to ear.

She'd backed Sango's king into a corner after taking out her pieces one by one. She had him guarded with a bishop three diagonal spaces away from her king, and her two rooks were guarding escape from both ends. But Sango was an easy prey, especially when Souta was helping her.

"Souta you jerk!" Sango hissed. "Go here, go here!" She mocked. Sango Ichiro was eighteen and was Kagome's closest girlfriend. Okay, actually she was her only girlfriend. She wore lip-gloss, pink eye shadow and the traditional heavy amount of black eyeliner, and black pants with pink stripes down the sides.

She also wore sandals, even though it was fall and the leaves were turning colors. Her top was a pink spaghetti tank and had the words 'I love nerds' on it with the 'o' being a heart.

Miroku sat next to Kagome and sipped his soda. "You guys wanna order a pizza?" Sango asked, grinning and looking towards Souta.

Kagome's stomach growled as she immediately glanced at Souta. "Jerk, it's your turn to pay for it." She told him. "I paid for it last Sunday." Souta, Sango, Kagome, and Kohaku all took turns with the pizza. It was only a loss of ten dollars a week anyway, since each of them had a hard enough time finding a good day to meet up.

Sometimes it didn't work out for either Sango or Miroku or Kohaku. Kagome and Souta both had off of work every Wednesday. All of them did their best to make it on Saturday nights and Sunday nights for the Pool Tournament on Saturday and the Dance Tournament on Sunday.

Souta sighed and began banging his head on the back of the booth's seat while taking out his wallet and throwing a one on the table. "Miroku, get a pepperoni and cheese and a sausage and cheese."

Miroku snickered, holding up the one. "You think this is enough for even one?"

Souta looked at it in horror, and then looked inside his wallet. "Ahh! My ten! It transformed!"

Sango grinned, holding up a ten-dollar bill. "Souta my friend. It's a little thing called slight of hand, and I happen to have it." She waved the money in front of his face and he snatched it from her angrily.

Kagome and Sango laughed, Miroku chuckled. "Souta, when will you learn?" Sango asked in a cheery voice.

"Obviously never, because this is the eighth time in the past two weeks." Miroku pointed out.

Kagome looked at Sango seriously when Souta angrily went to order the pizzas. "I'm lookin' for an apartment. You want to with me?"

"Really! I'd love it! Getting away from Kohaku and father would be so cool!"

Kagome laughed. "Kohaku is a bit nuts. I'd be glad too! Though, Souta is worse, I swear it. The only reason he doesn't see a shrink is because mama is one. In which case he technically sees one everyday... Anyway..." Miroku took this chance to grope Kagome. She elbowed him. "Perv!"

"I only do it because I love your shapely a...I mean bum."

Kagome narrowed her eyes at him. "You do it again and I'm going to throw you into the shapely toilet."

Miroku smirked. "So long as it is in the women's bathroom, I'm okay with it."

Kagome threw her hands up in the air in defeat. "I give up!"

Miroku turned instantly and took her hands. "Does that mean you'll bear my child?" He asked, grinning.

Kagome shook her head. "No, but Sango would love to!" She said and exited the booth without waiting for a lecture from Sango about how cruel that was. Miroku would now pester Sango all night. Which was of course a good thing; the two were made for each other!

Kagome went down into the lower level of the Rave where she knew there would be dancing and music and fun. She made her way to the dance floor and began dancing to the techno music blaring from the speakers placed everywhere.

From behind her she felt someone come to dance with her, so she danced with him. She knew who it would be. It would be Kouga Wolfe, one of her many admirers. One of her more tolerable admirers. He liked her, and she knew this, but he did keep a distance usually. He was also a friend of hers, though not a really close one like her brother, Sango, Kohaku, or Miroku.

Kouga had brown hair, held up in a high ponytail and wore a brown sweatband on his forehead all the time. He also wore one on his wrists. Today he was wearing a grey shirt with a brown dragon on it biting the head off of some unfortunate, a pair of grey khakis, and sandals.

A few songs later, Kagome was tired of dancing so she thanked Kouga for the dance and went back upstairs; sure that Sango had cooled down. She had, and Miroku was lying on the floor in a heap. Sango was happily munching on sausage pizza and chatting with Souta. Kagome went and sat by Sango in the booth, grabbing a slice of pepperoni pizza. "Num!" She said as she took a bite.

"Mhm. Nuthin' better than pizza!" Miroku said, getting up and grabbing a slice, sitting next to Souta.

Kagome and Souta got home at ten and both were joking about ways they could get rid of their father.

"I think mom should hire someone to whack him off and then marry Kohaku's dad, because you know Kohaku's dad likes mom."

The two went their separate ways to their rooms when they got to their hallway upstairs. Truly this house was a maze if you didn't know it well enough. The shrine was large enough to be considered a mansion.

Kagome and Souta's bedroom doors shared a hallway, since the two lived in the attic across from each other. Their rooms were not all that small, considering the shrine was three stories. Their rooms each ran half the length of the third floor of the shrine which covered about an acre, meaning each had a half acre of room.

Souta really didn't understand Kagome's need to move away; here she basically had it made. Of course, Naraku probably contributed to that, considering Kagome mostly was the one he took his anger out on.

Because the house was originally built as a shrine, the walls were mostly padded with both insulation and cork so that fasters could pray in peace. However, Naraku was in part of the house that was added on after twenty-nine ninty, and their mother had forgotten to have cork placed in the walls with the insulation.

There were 15 bedrooms in the shrine, three of which were in the most recently built branch of the shrine and had uncorked walls, eleven of which were fasting rooms; five bathrooms (two on the first floor, two on the second, and one on the third that Kagome and Souta shared) and an old outhouse (unused since the creation of running water and a real toilet); one kitchen; one very large dining room; one library; the living room/waiting room; their mother's office and counseling rooms; and the shrine store which Souta and Kagome worked after school almost every day.

Their mother paid them to work the shrine store and to help out with the shrine duties like sweeping the courtyard and garden paths, shoveling the courtyard and garden paths, collecting the money from the fasting rooms, cleaning and dusting the many rooms of the shrine and redoing sheets in a used fasting room, taking care of the garden in the back, and selling shrine items to patrons.

Both received seven dollars an hour for their hard work, and it was, believe it or not, hard work. The only day they had off from duties was Wednesday because not many people visited the shrine that day.

Outside the enormous shrine were the large courtyard and the gigantic staircase leading down to Main Street where there was ten parking spaces specifically reserved for visitors to the shrine. In the middle of the large courtyard was a large tree called the God tree (because it was believed to help a man reach God), an old apple tree and it had stone benches surrounding it.

Surrounding the enormous courtyard was a stone wall that Kagome and Souta liked to climb and sit at the top of, even though it unnerved their mother. Somehow even though the only tree in the courtyard was the God tree, every day Kagome and Souta had to sweep thousands of leaves off it in the fall and spring.

Behind the shrine/mansion was the garden, taking up 20 miles of space. The house itself took up six miles, and the courtyard took up four, totaling thirty miles that their mother owned. Because it would be highly impossible for Kagome and Souta to take care of the garden by themselves, their mother hired five professional gardeners to help, but Kagome and Souta still had to do a lot of work in it.

The garden was also a half-maze and there was a large labyrinth covering 5 miles of the garden. Two of the five gardeners were required to memorize the labyrinth (built of stone) and be sure to keep its paths mowed and the garden in the inner sanctum of the labyrinth prosperous.

There were two ponds in the garden; one dug deep for a swimming hole, the other dug just deep enough for wildlife that came from the 10 miles of woods placed strategically off and to the side of the garden.

The other 5 miles were just plant life; carefully tended rose trees, shrubberies, and flowers grown in their strategic places for the optimum effect of peace. At the very back of the garden was a small building that led down to a dried up well, called the Sand well that had a load of history attached to it.

Kagome and Souta knew everything about the shrine by heart, including all its history. They were required to because patrons often asked questions about its history. It was called 'Sunset Shrine' because if you sat in the garden (which faced west) you could watch the sun set.

It was strange that such a place could emit such radiant beauty and peace, yet the mood of the family living inside the shrine was a very tense atmosphere, caused by the father.

Kagome woke in the morning and after showering and dressing in a red tank top with the words 'Ice Princess' sprawled across her chest in sparkly black calligraphy lettering, another pair of pants that are tight on the hips but not the waist or legs (meant to be baggy pants in other words), and shoving a clean pair of socks in her backpack, she left her room to race downstairs, waiting anxiously for her pieces of toast to pop up, cramming them down, and then racing back upstairs to brush her teeth. As she was brushing, she smashed her fist into Souta's door a few times.

"Wakie wakie, eggs and bakey!" She said, pounding the door some more. "I'm leaving in ten minutes!" She could hear the sounds of her brother falling off his loft bed to the floor in his haste to get up. Ouch. That one hurt him. She thought and almost choked on her toothpaste laughing.

Once she'd finished brushing her teeth, Souta came out of his room, clad in only his boxers and with a handful of clothes in his arms. He was rushing towards the bathroom, half tripping his way there in his tired wakefulness. She pressed herself against the hallway wall to be sure she didn't get run over.

She went into her room and grabbed her backpack, heading down the stairs to the basement, where the garage and storm shelter were. Her car, her mother's blue car, and her father's truck all stood in a line, each with their own garage door out into Main Street. She hopped into her car and waited for Souta, pushing the button to open her garage door.

She grumbled while waiting for him, and then turned the stereo on. Music blared her ears from the three-disc interchangeable cd player.

Kagome sat back in the seat, switching songs and cds every so often. Even though she'd said she was leaving in ten minutes, she was still waiting for him twenty minutes after his crash to the floor. He came stumbling out of the door leading into the garage, slamming the door behind him and tripping over his feet as he tried to lace his shoe and sprint at the same time.

She laughed at his antics. "Where's your backpack?" She called, turning the volume on the CD player down so that he could hear her.

"Aw, crap!" He said. Kagome laughed as he quickly tied his shoe and slammed back into the house, racing as fast as he could to get his backpack (and probably undone homework) and then back to the car. His face was flushed as he got into the passenger side of the car.

"What a bad day it is already." He muttered as the two buckled up and Kagome put the car in reverse, backing out of the garage. Once out, she pushed the electronic button to close the garage door and raced into traffic, while Souta turned the CD player off and searched for a good station. The two began singing to the catchy little song on the radio, both grinning like madmen.

When they arrived at the school and found a parking spot in the large but filled to the brim parking lot, they entered the school, looking around the cafeteria for Sango and Miroku. It was easy to find them, seeing that Sango was red in the face and Miroku was red in the handprint on his face. Kohaku they knew wouldn't be there because he was sick and had been all week.

"Hey guys!" Kagome said, walking over to pleasantly greet the two. "Miroku, you should really just stop." Kagome grinned, knowing the older boy would probably never stop.

"So, Kagome, guess what I heard this morning?" Sango said during first period. Sango wasn't wearing the school uniform. She actually probably wore it even less than Kagome did.

Her outfit consisted of white khakis and a light purple extra small tee shirt with the singular word 'Angel?' printed in black on the front and 'Devil?' printed in white on the back.

She, as always, wore her usual make up and as always wore the locket around her neck that contained a picture of her mother in one side of it, and her whole family when she was young and her mother alive on the other side. The locket was a gold heart on a very fine gold chain.

Kagome turned to Sango. "What?" She was always interested in Sango's gossip, because it was something to do.

"We've got a new student. Her name is Rin Okuna. She'll be in our homeroom, but she's getting her schedule right now."

Kagome looked around. "How do you know this already?" She questioned, mildly curious. "Does anyone else know?"

"Not yet." Sango said, grinning. "And how I know it is my secret to keep." She chuckled. "Well, I should say Principle Aki knows and the office staff, but no students."

"Ah crud!" Kagome groaned, bending down to slam her head on the desk for a few seconds before sitting up and grabbing her backpack, rushing to the front of the room with her passbook in hand. When the teacher ignored her standing calmly by his desk for a moment, she began to get irritated. "Would you sign my passbook already?" She yelled.

A few of the students in the room chuckled, though that few consisted only of Sango, Miroku, and Souta. The rest of the room sent disapproving glances at Kagome for being who she was. Inuyasha, who sat in the back of the room, looked at her, an angry twitch coming to his eye as he noticed her for the first time that morning.

It was her. It was the girl who he always somehow found himself in a quarrel with, every day. It was the girl with a different last name than her mother.

It was she who could irritate and please with the same sentence all at once. It was the girl who now knew he had to go to 'group counseling'. Whether or not she knew of the reason he was in it was yet to be determined. It was she and her brother who brought him trouble every damn day.

He could see his brother trying to ignore her too, but wasn't doing too well. This class was art. He knew his brother actually had a ...how could he word it...? If Sesshoumaru's journal was any indication, he had a smidge of an infatuation for that girl who was at the front of the room, screaming at the teacher.

There were drawings of Kagome in his journal. That was what had started the whole 'needing counseling' thing. Inuyasha had looked into Sesshoumaru's journal. As if he'd say what he saw anyway. Unless he wanted to thoroughly humiliate his brother... in which case, he had the perfect ammo.

The teacher merely glanced at Kagome, before turning back to his lecture. When he didn't respond to her other than to glance at her, she picked up her passbook and walked to the door.

"Leave this room, Higurashi, and you'll be doing detention."

Kagome merely glanced back at the teacher. "Do I want to listen to you?" She asked, seemingly to herself. "Nah." She waved her hand at the teacher. "Ta!"

Kagome went to the bathroom and took care of her 'PP' as she called it. PP was short for 'period problem'. But since she was on a little splurge away from the classroom, she decided to go nag a lunch roll from the lunch ladies. As always, the lunch ladies tried to refuse but she gave them puppy eyes. "Alright... but just one."

Kagome snagged one of the large sandwich lunch rolls from the tray, thanking the lunch ladies and then heading back to class. Sango looked at her curiously. "What was it?"

Kagome groaned and slammed her head a few times on the desk before sitting up again and eating her lunch roll. "It was the pp." The class had started their daily drawing assignment, so Kagome got out her sketch book and colored pencils, drawing a picture of a stack of lunch rolls. So she was really hungry... who could blame her?

At lunch, Kagome and Sango searched for Miroku and Souta, who were looking for them as well. The four got into the lunch line and when they got out with their trays, they saw someone sitting at their normal table eating a box lunch while reading a book. Kagome went over to greet them, sitting next to them.

"Hello! You're sitting at our table, yah know." She said, grinning and eating a piece of her fruit.

"Oh! Sorry, sorry." The girl began to get up, but Kagome grabbed her wrist as Miroku, Sango, and Souta sat around the table, Souta having to grab a chair from a nearby table.

"Awe man, don't leave." Kagome said. "I'm just kidding you know." The girl sat back down, hesitantly. She bookmarked her book and set it in her lap, looking defeated. "What's your name, chicky?" She asked.

"Rin Okuna." The girl looked hesitant and frightened. Her eyes were darting all over the place for a way to escape. Miroku was on one side of her, Sango was across from her next to Kagome, and Souta was in between Sango and Miroku. The room was filled with students who came in varying sizes, shapes, and attributes.

"Okay, Rin. I'm Kagome Higurashi." She pointed to Sango. "That's my best friend, Sango Ichiro, better known as Thief." She pointed to Souta. "That's my brother, Souta, having the nicknames 'Jerk' and 'Pillow'." She pointed lastly to Miroku. "And that's the perv."

Miroku looked offended. "What, don't I get an introduction?" He asked, looking hurt.

Kagome and Sango laughed. "Why should you?" Sango asked. "People call you 'perv' more than they refer to you as 'Miroku James Shishuni'. I'd be surprised if anyone besides us actually knew your real name."

Rin looked confused, but hid her confusion behind her hands. Rin Okuna wore the school uniform, a white and pea green outfit, and her hair was somewhat strange of a hairdo. She wore most of it down, but just a small bit she wore in a ponytail off the side of her head.

Kagome had already seen her eyes, they were cinnamon brown, and her skin was a healthy dose of tan. She wore the school issued white tennis shoes and was positively shaking from fear of something, still trying to find an escape from whatever frightened her.

Kagome glanced at Rin while Miroku and Sango argued and Souta somehow got dragged into it. "You're new here?" It was a statement, more than it was a question.

"Yes. I am..." Rin said nervously, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.

Kagome grinned at her and lightly –very lightly- punched Rin's arm in a friendly manner. "Stick with me, Chicky. I'll show yah 'round if you like. Me 'n' my little group will take care of yah."

Rin still looked nervous, but seemed to relax just a smidge. "Thank you. I would be very appreciative."

Kagome grinned. "Eh, no worries, right Chicky?" Rin nodded.

After school, Kagome and Sango were walking out of the school searching for Rin. Kagome also had to find Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. It really didn't take long to find Rin. She was being heckled by a few bullies. Both angry, they went up to the five boys and stood between Rin and the bullies.

"Hey, you leave her alone." Kagome said her voice low and dangerous. Rin looked up from between her fingers at the source of the new voice and saw Kagome and Sango standing in the way of the five bullies who had been pushing her around. Her eyes were streaked with tears.

"Who's ganna make us?" The bullies laughed. Judging from the boys' outfits, Kagome was guessing they weren't from this school and were from one near by, come to cause trouble in HER territory.

They were obviously from the public school, if their clothes were any indication. The school that Kagome and everyone else in this small part of the city went to was a private school, which meant it cost money to get in, and it was smaller.

"I will." Kagome said. "I hate it when public school kids enter my territory." She spoke with venom dripping from her mouth. Not literally, but in a figurative manner.

The boys laughed at her, but just as soon as they started laughing, Kagome looked at Sango and nodded. Sango nodded back and the two charged at the five.

Kagome and Sango literally pounded them into the ground. It would be pointless to describe what happened in extreme detail, but Kagome had ended up with two unconscious bodies and three batted beaten but still conscious bodies lying on the ground.

The three still conscious struggled to get up and get their friends so they could run. By the end, Sango had a bloody set of knuckles from punching one guy so much and a fat lip, and Kagome ended up with a sore ribcage from one boy drop kicking her, and a cut above her eye.

"Be sure to tell your friends!" Kagome said pleasantly, even though her ribs hurt like hell. She briefly wondered if she might have sprained a rib or something. "We're here any time if you want to try us!" Kagome turned to Rin who was staring at Sango and Kagome with awe struck eyes. "You okay, Chicky?" She asked.

"You didn't have to do that." Rin said.

Kagome laughed and held a hand out to Rin to help her up. Rin took it and Kagome pulled her up. "Yah we did. This is our school and you're our new friend. We take care of our own." Kagome told the girl. "How old are you, Chicky?"

"Sixteen. I'm going to be seventeen soon though. On the 25th of December I will be. Where did you guys learn to fight like that?" Her voice was filled with the awe that she'd shown in her eyes before.

"My dad taught me, Kagome, Souta, and my brother Kohaku. Kohaku's sick right now, which is why he isn't in school or you'd have met him." Sango said.

"Come on." Kagome said. "I'm guessing you missed the bus, Chicky?" At Rin's nod, she continued. "Well then, let's rock. I'll give you a ride home. I'm already takin' Thief here home, so don't you be making excuses." She pointed to Sango when she said the girl's nickname.

Rin stammered a thank you as Kagome led her to her car and the three got in, Rin in the back seat and Sango in the front passenger. "We're just gonna wait a moment for my brother, 'kay Chicky?"

"Okay."

Kagome fiddled with the stereo a moment. Seconds after it was turned on, Souta and Miroku ran up, back packs bouncing. Because there were so many people, Kagome had popped the trunk. "Put your bags in the trunk and get in."

"'Gome, you're forgetting we've got to bring Snob and Ice Prince." Souta pointed out, hopping into the back, sitting in the middle between Miroku and Rin.

Kagome leaned forward and began smashing her head into the horn, which went beep each time her head hit it. Finally she sighed and turned the car off, unbuckling. "I'll be back in a moment. I'm gonna find them and if they don't have a car of their own, they'll just have to be shoved in the trunk."

"Aw, 'Gome, I liked that song!" Miroku complained. "Couldn't you leave the car running?"

But Kagome was already racing off towards the school. She ran to where she thought Sesshoumaru would be, but he wasn't there. Damn. She'd thought people like him always were in a library...She thought for a moment.

"Okay, if I were a cold uncaring jerk, where would I be?" She muttered, looking in the classrooms she knew he had. He took band and art, foods, and gym with her personally. "Oh Ice Prince, where are you?" She thought aloud. "Here Ice Prince Ice Prince Ice Prince!"

"Ice Prince? Whom are you referring to?" A steely voice asked from behind her.

She jumped nearly twenty feet in the air out of fright and turned around to send an angry fist at Sesshoumaru, but he caught her fist midair and raised an eyebrow at her. "Grr..." She peeled her hand out of his grasp. "Don't do that!"

"..." He didn't reply.

"God. Now where's your brother?"

"Probably waiting by my car for me."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's go. You can follow my car. I have to make a few side stops before the shrine."

Kagome began walking out of the building when Sesshoumaru surprised her with a question rather than his normal 'I'm better than you and I know it silence'. "Why did you spit on me yesterday?" He asked. He sounded amused and curious at the same time.

She looked back at him for a second, surprised he would even talk to her, and then she laughed. "I was surprised that Snob and Ice... I mean you and Inuyasha were in group counseling. You and him always lead like you've got this perfect life other than the minor quarrels you have, so I suppose you could say it was the jolt into reality of a life time."

He said no more, and they parted ways going to their separate respective cars. She was surprised to see that he had a dark green and white car. To her that was an adventurous type of car, small and low to the ground. She'd expected something like a limousine or something.

She supposed it was possible though. After all, he always wore the same mask every day, so perhaps it was just that: a mask. His appearance as a serious business type was a façade and he was like...some super rock star type underneath it all.

Actually, she thought that would be quite cool. Just all of a sudden he was a popular rock star but he disguised himself as a nineteen year old in school and going through 'tough times' and having to see 'Sunset's Shrink'.

She got into the car and turned on the engine, buckling up and speeding out of the parking lot. First stop, she had to take Miroku to work.

Miroku's house and job were way out of her way, but she knew that Miroku had no car, and his mother didn't have the expenses for a car, considering Miroku was just one of eight children and she was trying to take care of them all alone.

It was almost like Kagome's mother's situation, only she had two kids where Ms Shishuni had eight, and her mother had a very well paying job, where Ms Shishuni only worked at the local grocery store for a very minimum wage. That was why only Sango, Kagome, Souta, and Kohaku took turns at buying the pizza at the Rave on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

They understood that all Miroku's money he made went to help his family, minus the approximately ten to fifteen dollars he got out of his two hundred fifty dollar check each week. Those ten to fifteen dollars usually was wasted on the cuss jar at the Rave. He was the only one of his brothers who worked. The rest of them were still in grade school.

Miroku worked at a restaurant near where he lived, washing dishes. Kagome knew that the Nokugami boys would get confused when she started heading in clearly the opposite direction of her house, but she figured to just let them be confused.

She couldn't care less. All her friends, minus Kohaku, were in the car right then. It was their opinion that mattered, not the Nokugami boys' opinion.

Briefly as she sped down Main Street, dodging traffic when she could by going down back streets, she wondered why she disliked almost everyone in the school. 'Oh yeah...' She remembered.

She and her friends were outcasts from the general society. Every single one of the types of people whether they were punks, Goths, or preps disapproved them of, and even the nerd club hated them. They just weren't understood enough, she supposed. Because they didn't just choose one style – they composed themselves of every style.

What could they do? They were rebellious, and by this time, their parents had mostly given up on their rebelling ways. The school complained daily that they didn't wear the school-coded uniforms. Not even the Goths or punks at the school would shirk the uniform off. Kagome and Souta's mother still gave them a lecture about their not wearing the uniform at least once a week, but they sat through it.

As Kagome weaved in and out of traffic, she looked in her rear view mirror and saw that she'd lost the Nokugami boys. "Crap." She swore. They'd probably never been in this part of town in their entire life. Those two...PREPS!

"Hey, 'Gome, what's the matter?" Souta asked curiously.

"I forgot the Nokugami boys were following us and can't see them behind us. Do you see them?"

Sango laughed. "Eh. Why do you have to baby-sit them?"

Kagome smirked. "Miss All-knowing doesn't know?" Kagome and Souta knew they could trust Sango and Miroku and Kohaku with the secret, so they would sometimes talk about who went to see Sunset's Shrink. Kagome had a feeling that Rin wouldn't repeat anything she said either.

"What is it?" Sango asked, an annoyed edge to her voice. She didn't like being in the dark about things. It was like torture to her.

"They go to group counseling." Souta piped up, and all except Rin started laughing. The rich boys went to counseling. It was good to know that not everyone was perfect. Even good ol' Sesshoumaru, Ice Prince (as he was more widely known amongst Kagome's group), had flaws it seemed.

"I can't believe it! What an informative day this has been!" Miroku said.

Souta laughed. "Hey, Sango! Guess what! Miroku had an accident today!"

"What kind of accident?" Kagome asked, looking and seeing Miroku blushing wildly in the rearview mirror. She grinned.

"Souta don't you even tell them!" Miroku said. If they weren't in a car, he might have tried to stop him physically, but unfortunately he didn't want them to crash because he was messing around.

Souta ignored him and said in a singsong voice, "Miroku tripped in gym and for once it was an accident when he groped the girl. He tried to regain his balance, by grabbing the person in front of him, and accidentally knocked them both over. The result was him landing with his face in Yura's crotch and his hands cupping her boobs!"

Kagome and Sango were laughing so hard they had to pull over for fear of crashing. Souta was laughing too, Miroku looking more embarrassed than he'd ever looked, and Rin looking a bit horrified at the group's humor.

Finally though, they made it to Corner Stone Bar and Grill, where Miroku worked. Kagome popped the trunk for him to get his bag. "See yah later, Perv!" Kagome called out the window, waving.

"Bye Perv! Don't grope too many waitresses!" Souta yelled, scooting over into the seat Miroku vacated by the door behind Kagome.

"Hey! Perv! Come on Chat tonight if you can." Sango yelled loudly.

"Oh Sango my love! Are you asking me on a date?" He asked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Shut up Perv!" She said, grinning at him and flipping him the bird.

"I love you too!" He called, shouldering his backpack and waving, then disappearing into the building. Kagome sped off into traffic, heading back the way she came then.

"So, Rin, where do you live?" Kagome asked. She took a right on Main Street.

"Um... well my new family lives in a house on Mill Street, near the Mill River... We've got a house right by the water." Rin replied.

"Oh? I wonder if your house is the one just at the edge of my mom's property! Past our property just a few yards is the Mill River, but it doesn't run into our property." Souta said.

Kagome smirked when Rin pointed out the house and pulled into the driveway. "Well, Rin, our dear new neighbor who only lives about thirty miles away, if you ever need either me, Sango, or Souta, or Kohaku when he's not ill, you can just come to our houses and we'll be there for yah."

She pointed to the large shrine in the distance. "That'll be where me and Souta live if you need us." She pointed to a house about ten miles away, on a small island in the middle of the lake that the river led into. There was a low stone bridge leading out to it.

"That's Sango and Kohaku's house. If anyone's heckling' you, you give us a call and we'll be there to help you out right away. I'd suggest not trying to walk to the shrine though. It's a long ways to it."

Kagome took out a piece of paper from the glove compartment and a pen and scribbled her phone number and email on it, handing it to Sango who did the same and gave it to Souta who scratched his phone number and email, and Miroku's and Kohaku's email on it and gave it to Rin.

"No worries, Chicky. We'll take care of yah. If you have a computer, download the latest version of Chat messenger and add us to your Chat. We try to meet on there every so often, and if you need help with something, then that's Souta's cell phone number and mine, and Sango's home phone number, and that's all our emails, including Kohaku's."

Rin smiled. "Thank you, you guys." She said with tears in her eyes. The three were taken aback at seeing those. "Already you guys are treating me better than anybody else has in any school I've been too..."

"Eh, don't cry... that's not cool!" Kagome said.

Rin giggled and wiped the tears away. "I'm sorry..." She said, taking the paper and exiting the car. Kagome popped the trunk and Rin got her backpack and shut the trunk again. She walked over to the driver's side and Kagome rolled her window down.

"Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow in school then?"

Kagome nodded. "That's right, Chicky! And if you have a computer, we'll be on about eight thirty or so. But I've got to go now, I've got to take Sango home and Souta and I have to work at the shrine tonight. Catch yah later, Chicky!"

Rin waved as they drove off towards Sango's island home. Once Sango was home, Souta got into the front seat and the two went as fast as they could while still going the speed limit towards home. When they got home, both swore vehemently. "Where are Snob and Ice Prince?" Kagome asked.

"Maybe they went back to school when we lost them? 'Cause they certainly ain't here."

Kagome sighed and began slamming her head against the horn. "You go in and start work. I'm gonna go look for them. No sense in both of us being late."

Souta nodded and hopped out. "I'll get my backpack later."

"Yeah right, you don't do your homework anyway." Kagome said and then started the car up again, pulling out. She rushed towards the school, making it there in five minutes, zooming into the parking lot. She was relieved to see the dark green and white mini cooper in the school parking lot. She went and pulled up beside it.

"Sorry about that." She apologized, though when she saw Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha she didn't feel as sorry. She remembered who they were. They were rich kids, able to throw money around and doing so with a flourish as they, or Inuyasha at least, presented presents to their girlfriends.

Gifts from all over the world, expensive ones. She supposed Sesshoumaru probably did the same, since anyone with as many fan girls (and even guys!) as he had, probably had found a special somebody.

Just because Kagome lived in probably the most expansive building and property in the city, actually living just on the outskirts of the city, though, didn't mean she was a rich girl. She was far from it. Her mother never gave Souta or Kagome excess money, though she did pay for the two to have cell phones in case of emergency.

Any money the two wanted, they had to earn by doing shrine work. Souta and Kagome knew their mother had emergency money saved up in a safe in her office, but also knew that without that there in case of an emergency, they would probably starve because Naraku took most of Kali's money for him to spend on whores and beer.

The money in the safe went towards bills and groceries most often. Kagome herself had almost thirteen hundred dollars saved up for a car.


	2. Second Chapter

Kagome's eyes hardened as Sesshoumaru rolled his window down to raise his eyebrow at her in his 'you-are-certainly-inferior-to-me' look. God how she hated that look! It ticked her off every time she saw it. He always looked at her like that. She wanted to punch it right off his face! But she contained herself before it showed too much in her face. "Let's go, you stupid preps." She told them angrily.

She pressed the button to roll the window up again, speeding out of the lot and into traffic. That look he always gave her was in her peripheral vision. It seemed only a second later that she was pulling in her garage, grabbing her backpack from the trunk and being sure to close the garage door before heading upstairs. She absolutely loathed that look. But why? Didn't he give that look to everyone?

She climbed the last of the steps before going into her room to change into the priestess robes she had to wear for working at the shrine. Souta had robes just like hers; only his were defined as priest robes, even though they looked like exactly the same outfit. It was a red and white outfit, red bottoms and white top.

Kagome tied her hair back in a high ponytail, looking at herself in her mirror. She felt funny looking wearing all her dark make-up and her jewelry, along with her priestess robes, but she hadn't had time to take it off. She was already late and she did take her job very seriously.

Once that was done, she went back downstairs, checking the fasting rooms to be sure none were messy on her way down and if they were then taking the clean blankets out of the closet and remaking the bed, taking the dirty blankets with her.

She redid three rooms on the second floor and two on the first floor, taking each floor's laundry down to the basement where the laundry room was and putting in a load after switching over Souta's clothes. She quickly went back upstairs then, going to find Souta and ask him what he'd done so far.

"I opened the store up so patrons could browse, and then I went and changed... and then I went to get a broom and now I'm sweeping the steps." He told her, grinning. "If you want something to do, you could dust the library."

She groaned. "Dang. You did this on purpose!" Neither of them liked to dust the library because it was so expansive and often took days to do. They had to run over every surface of wood with cleaning fluid and the shelves were over three stories high, the library having a huge arch ceiling.

There was a large winding staircase going around the large circular room's outer rim so that people could get to the top most books, the staircase was made of steel and had floral patterns in the wire. The wood used for the bookshelves was made of red oak and had floral patterns wood burned into the side of the shelves.

There were tables spread about the floor, both western and the traditional style tables that were low to the ground with cushions. The winding staircase had a ladder that went with it up and had a locking mechanism so that it didn't just slide back down to the ground floor when it reached the third story.

It was a beautiful room, however unused, but it got dusty quickly. One of them would spend almost a week out of every month dusting the library. Souta had done it the previous month. Both hated the tedious job because it was so repetitive: Spray, wipe, scrub. Spray, wipe, scrub.

Kagome sighed and cursed her luck as Souta snickered at her and then went on sweeping the steps. Kagome sighed again, cursed her luck again, and then went into the house, going into the closet in the living room for a handful of dusting rags and a can of pledge, placed them in a bucket, and then following the signs placed around the shrine for visitors, making her way to the library.

She once more cursed her luck as she looked at the impossible task set before her. Well, no sense wasting time. She thought bitterly. She decided it would be easiest to start at the top so she put the bucket on a hanger on the ladder and began the slow ascent to the top, pushing the ladder as she went along. Every two steps it would make a clicking sound, meaning the locking mechanism was working.

As Kagome began working at the top shelves, she began remembering her lessons about the demons, like Snob and Ice Prince were. Those two sacks of rich bastards were demons. She thought back to her lessons about demons. About three hundred years previous a giant war had taken place concerning demons and humans on Earth.

It lasted one hundred years before a truce was called, as neither side seemed to ever gain edge over the other. The few humans who had the ability: priests and priestesses might once in a while make a dent in the demon lines, but just as often a powerful demon would dent the human lines.

She sprayed a shelf, wiped it, and began to scrub it, thinking some more. These demons had all sorts of strange, almost magical abilities. Humans, with their stubborn personalities and (for select few) priest or priestess power, were able to hold the demons off though, before they were put into slavery.

That was what the entire war had been about: slavery. Whichever side won was going to put the other into slavery. But a truce had been called when a single priestess sacrificed her life to destroy thousands of demons.

The priestess and three of the demons – those touching her, turned to stone, the rest of the thousands of demons were turned into dust. Soon after, both war parties had heard about this catastrophe.

The reason for the truce on the demons side: they had suffered the loss of many great warriors while the humans lost only one. The reason for the truce on the humans' side: they had lost their greatest Mebana, or female flower, as they called the priestesses and they weren't sure they would be able to hold their own after that.

It was with great struggle that Kagome finished off a small section of the large library, making sure each of these books were in order. She moved a few clicks down the way towards the floor and began the whole irritating routine again. Spray, wipe, and scrub.

Kagome often had serious doubts that Naraku was her and Souta's father because he was a half-breed, or in other words the product of a demon's and a human's sexual intercourse. If Naraku really was their father, then the two of them should by all rights have demon attributes, like fuzzy ears that Inuyasha had, or SOMETHING... and the two having blue eyes didn't count.

At least, not to them anyway. So...if Naraku wasn't their father, then who could be? Someone who would be a lot better at parenting than Naraku, that was for sure. He was just a jerk, constantly beating on Kagome for anything and everything. Kagome of course, being the bigger sibling, often took Souta's beatings too. She didn't want Souta to get hurt. (Unless through her of course).

Spray, wipe, and scrub. The motion was never ending...

"Kagome!" Souta called up to her obnoxiously and she almost lost her balance on the ladder, which wobbled terribly unnaturally when she went to get her balance back. Souta laughed up at her. "Come down. Mom's cooking supper for us and our... 'guests'..."

"Souta," Kagome said dangerously, walking slowly to the bottom of the enormous stairs, her heart pounding wildly in her chest from her fright. When she reached the bottom, he was able to see just how angry she really was.

"I'M GONNA GUT YOU AND FEED YOU TO THE FISHES!" She screamed and chased after him. What was seen was two teens in flowing drapery racing through the house, one fleeing, one looking very murderous.

"Come back here!" She yelled as Souta raced into the dinning room and Kagome chased him around the long table. Finally she got irritated and ran over the table to get him on the other side, tackling him to the ground. "You jerk!" She said and punched him.

"'Gome, that was weak." He said. "You've been in the library too long scrubbing those shelves!" He laughed at her and pushed her off of him.

He was right. She had been scrubbing the shelves too long and now her arms were like play dough. Souta held out a hand to help Kagome up and she took the offer. "I hate you, Pillow." She told him.

"I love you too, 'Gome!" He said, grinning from ear to ear and sitting down at the long table. The two usually sat wherever their argument finished up at supper. Today it had finished at the very center of the table.

Their mother came out with the dishes of food, five plates in all, setting the very end of the table. She pointed to the last two dishes, headed towards the center of the table.

"You will sit down here today." She told them sternly.

Meekly, the two got up and went and sat across from each other, wondering who the two guests were. They both blanched when they saw Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. Kagome stood angrily, knocking her chair over in the process. 'What, now the rich kids mooch off of us?!'

Souta looked equally disturbed, but more composed about it. Kali had Sesshoumaru sit next to Kagome's place and Inuyasha sit next to Souta. Of all the people to place her by in this world, fate had to put her by 'Mr. quirks-his-eyebrows'. Oh cruel world...

Her own eyebrow twitched in annoyance. She took a deep breath to calm herself and then righted her chair and sat down when her mother gave her that 'Just breathe and relax' look that she always gave her when wanting her to do something.

Finally, Kagome had halfway relaxed half through dinner. She and Souta were throwing cracks at each other just like they did every night.

"How can you tell a blond is working at a computer?" Souta asked.

Kagome snickered. "How?"

"There's white out all over the screen."

"Why can't a blond dial nine-one-one?" Kagome asked.

"Why?"

"He can't find the eleven."

"Hey, 'Gome, sixty seconds to say ten signs that a kid is a nerd." Souta said grinning from ear to ear.

Kagome ticked off the ten signs as Kali smiled tightly, picking up her plate and heading into the kitchen. "What's my timing, Souta?" Kagome asked, leaning back on her chair.

"One o' one."

Kagome stood quickly, her chair bouncing backwards a few feet. "Liar!" Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's eyes were on the two now. They'd stared at their plates the entire evening until then otherwise.

Souta laughed and held his hands up. "Alright, alright! It was fifty something, but you should have seen the look on your face!" He cackled.

Kagome grinned and laughed as well as Kali came out of the kitchen and took everyone's plates. "You can go about the shrine." She told the two boys. "Just stay away from Madison's Labyrinth." She then rounded on Kagome and Souta.

"Now you two have annoyed me all dinner. You get back to your work!" It was a line they knew well and could have said it with her. She said it every day to them. The two sighed and left the room, going their separate ways: Kagome back to the tedious task of library dusting, Souta to go weeding in the garden.

"Alright." Kagome muttered to herself about a half hour later, knowing her face was probably smudged in dust from brushing loose hair out of her face. Her fingers were slightly pruned and red from scrubbing the shelves and using the pledge.

She wiped sweat off her brow and glared at the obstinate spot on the shelf. Her arms felt like water at the moment and her bucket of clean rags was already completely used.

"Okay, Kagome." She told herself. "Two minute break while you get a new bunch of rags, take these to the laundry room, and get a soda. Ready? Go!"

She grabbed the bucket of rags, racing down the long circular railing sitting on it and slipping clean onto her feet at the bottom. Once she was down, she ran to the basement as fast as she could tossing the rags out of the bucket as though they were water and she was splashing someone, then raced back upstairs taking the steps two at a time and tripping into the living room.

She grabbed a handful of rags and tossed them into the bucket, then raced into the kitchen and got herself a cold drink before racing back to the library, checking her watch for timing and grinning. "Alright! Two minutes and twenty eight seconds is good in a big complex like this!"

Sango came into the room as Kagome was congratulating herself and tackled the girl in the priestess robes from behind. The two laughed as they went down, Kagome slipping out of Sango's reach swiftly so that she didn't land on her face and break it.

For a few moments the two just laughed, before Kagome began to stand. She'd known Sango was in the room, but hadn't known the girl would tackle her.

"Totally uncalled for!" Kagome finally yelled, laughing as she said it. She picked up the discarded bucket, setting her soda on one of the tables. Sango followed her as she began to make the ascent to the top for the second time that day. "So how come you're here?" Kagome asked.

"Because Kohaku has his appointment. He might be sick, but dad still is making him come. I'm not blind; the reason he's making Kohaku come is because he's," at this point, Sango started making a really goofy 'love struck' face and puckering her lips up, talking in a sappy breathy voice, "madly in love with your mother..."

Kagome snickered as Sango began to prance up the stairs, looking like she were tangoing with someone. "Sango, everyone except my mother knows that he is... well, everyone who matters anyway." She said, grinning.

"Aww, it's so adorable!" Sango stood by the ladder, leaning against it while talking to Kagome. "The way my dad's always all serious when he's not around your mom, but then practically melts into a pile of hot gooey fudge when he is around your mom. Dude, your mom should impale Naraku and marry my dad! Then we could be sisters!"

Kagome laughed, scrubbing the particularly gross spot on the shelf she'd left off on. It was strange how a library that's rarely used could always get so nasty. "That'd be awesome! I'd run him through with a steak knife myself if I could get away with it."

Sango sighed then. "Miroku's such a jerk!" She said finally.

Kagome looked down at Sango. "What'd he do now?"

"I dunno. He just irritates me!"

Kagome gave a dreamy sigh. "Maybe that's 'cause you're in love..."

"AM NOT!" Sango yelled, smacking Kagome's foot (it was the only part of Kagome that she could reach). "I'll have you know that..."

Kagome interrupted, "Eight Ball asked you to the dance?"

"When did you hear about that!" Sango had been sure no one had known.

"He was yelling' about it in gym. 'Oh Ichiro, will you go to the dance with me? There is a seventy percent chance of rain...'"

Sango laughed at Kagome's drastic impression of Kenith Guan, nicknamed Eight Ball by Kagome and her friends because he always talked like one. "Hey! That's not even fair, Kagome." She complained.

"Of course it is! And the funniest thing about it is that Prom isn't for a long time, considering school practically just started."

Sango grinned slyly. "I know something you don't know..." She chanted, changing the subject away from her.

Kagome looked down at her. "Of course you do! You know things that half the population of the city doesn't know! So tell me why I should worry about you knowing something I don't know?" She grinned at the expression on Sango's face; a mixture of confusion and amusement.

"Well, I think you'll want to know why Ice Prince and Snot are in your house."

"I already know: they have group counseling sessions." Kagome said, turning back to her work.

"I know you know THAT." Sango said, frustrated. "I meant the reason they're in the counseling session!" She knew that would get Kagome's attention as she looked at her watch.

Kagome looked at the grandfather clock as well, curious of the time, leaning precariously away from the ladder to peer down to the floor below. It was eight thirty already, which meant that she'd been working for four and a half hours.

Normally she worked five, but she'd been late getting home because of the Nokugami boys. She looked up at the ceiling, composed of a thick glass dome roof and saw it had gotten quite dark.

The only reason the room wasn't dark was because of the hundreds of lamps in the room, hanging from walls, or standing from the floor. Some of the room was in patched darkness, but mostly you could see.

She looked sharply at Sango when the other girl spoke, climbing down from the ladder with eager eyes. "Ooh, tell me!"

Sango grinned and looked away, moving to the banister and riding it down to the floor. "No, I don't think I will!" She called back to Kagome.

"Ooh you are so evil! You so are gonna tell me whether you like it or not!" She too, rode the banister down to the bottom landing on her feet in a perfect form. Once she was down, she saw Sango pop her soda open and take a sip. "Tell me?" She begged while stealing her soda from Sango.

"Alright, fine." Sango agreed. "I found a bit of crucial evidence in the recycling bin at school as to why they're there." She dug in her pocket and took out a carefully folded piece of wrinkled paper and handed it to Kagome.

Kagome looked at it for a second, took a large gulp of soda, handed her soda to Sango, and then began to peel open the piece of paper.

Kagome saw scribbles everywhere on the page, along with rips and water drop smudges. "Whoever wrote it was crying would be my first guess."

Sango nodded solemnly. "I found it in the glass recycling bin just before you enter the music wing in the school, which was why it perked my interest."

Kagome began to read aloud the legible parts. "I can hear her saying it now, 'Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru go to group counsel' I'm guessing that's counseling..." Sango nodded her agreement and the two leaned against a western style table – both oblivious to the fact that someone else was in the room, reading quietly on a cushion.

Sesshoumaru stopped reading though when Kagome started reading the note, his eyes widened and his body started to shake with fear. Oh god no... He thought. No, no, no! He really didn't want her to read that. It was an entry from his journal.

He'd been so mad earlier that day that he'd attacked it with his pen in one of the band practice rooms. He'd really been upset because he'd started crying.

He still wasn't sure what had set the anger off, but it had been quite a while before he'd calmed down enough to go to his fifth period class, which he'd missed half off. He'd ripped the page out of his journal, crumpled it, and threw it away. But of all people to find it... did it have to be her?

Kagome thought for a moment. "Hmm... Well, unless there's anyone else in the school with your uncanny ability to know things before anyone, then I'm guessing it is either Sesshoumaru or Inuyasha who wrote this. I'm guessing it was Inuyasha though, because Sesshoumaru doesn't have the ability to cry."

Sesshoumaru gulped inaudibly. Why is the world against me?! He thought bitterly. Why do I have to be the one with the god forsaken crush on a girl like her? I could have pretty much anyone in school. Why did I have to crush on her? Why couldn't it have been Inuyasha? He felt the tears coming again but pushed them back, watching her with as stoic an expression as he could get.

Kagome looked at the note and read the next part that wasn't ripped or smudged to illegibility. "'Want to hate her forever, but I can't. Why...'" She moved to the next place. "'Asked Sango Ichiro to the Rave's Sunday Dance Tournament today...'"

Kagome looked at Sango with a sarcastic expression. "Why exactly am I looking at something that Eight Ball wrote?" Sesshoumaru almost cheered his relief at hearing that. Perhaps the world wasn't so against him.

"Oh just keep reading!" Sango said irritably.

Kagome shook her head, tossing the piece of paper behind her. "Eight Ball's a moron. Whatever reason he might have is probably wrong."

Sango lifted the paper from where it landed on the table and shoved it in Kagome's face, pointing to a spot on it. "Look here! This proves that it really isn't Eight Ball!"

Kagome's eyes widened and a grin spread across her face. "Ooh..." She smiled and read the words over and over. "Sooo... one of the Nokugami boys keeps a journal, eh?" She laughed. "How very interesting..." She read the line a few more times. 'Stole my journal so now we're in group counseling...'

Sango smirked. "Well, I'm positive that Kohaku's done by now, so I'll see you on Chat in a few minutes." She took the note, folded it, and stuck it back in her pocket. "Later Mebana!"

Kagome scowled as Sango ran out of the room. "I said don't call me that! It isn't true!" She yelled after the girl. Sango hadn't seemed to hear. I'll just yell at her later on Chat. She looked up at the bucket at the very top of the ladder, sighing heavily.

"I hate this." She whispered as she trudged up to get her supplies. When she came back down, she realized Sesshoumaru was in the room, reading a book with that stoic look on his face. "God!" She yelled, her voice echoing in the large, silent room. "Why are YOU still here?" She asked, her voice furious, and her body tense.

Sesshoumaru quirked an eyebrow at her, wondering how she could be so beautiful even while mentally berating himself for thinking like that. "My father is moving houses; not that it is any of your business." He added almost too quickly.

Kagome tried to calm herself. "Don't kill the guest...don't kill the guest... I'm gonna kill you, mother!" She screamed as she walked out of the room. She went to her mother's office. She was there, looking through a file and taking notes. "What's the deal? Why are they STILL here?!"

Kali sighed. She'd taken to note that Kagome and Souta didn't seem to like the Nokugami boys. Well, Kagome would hate the sleeping arrangements even worse... She couldn't spare a single fasting room; they were all in use already.

She told her daughter, "Kagome, they're here for the night. You will sleep in Souta's room, and the Nokugami boys will share your room."

"WHAT!" Her voice echoed through the entire shrine. "That's shit!"

"Kagome, don't cuss." Her mother warned. See? Kagome didn't like it. "And I'm doing this because you're the one with the bunk bed in your room. Souta has a loft and a couch. You know I can't spare the fasting rooms-"

Kagome groaned and slapped her forehead with her palm multiple times. "Mother, the bottom bunk of my bed is a couch." She said as calmly as she could. "And I am not leaving my room."

Kali frowned. She'd forgotten about that, but Kagome didn't have to be like this. She decided she was going to punish the girl, but she couldn't figure a way to do so. Anything that was done Kagome usually just shrugged off; even the beatings that Naraku gave her.

Finally, she got an idea. 'Room her with someone she doesn't like... But which of the two boys does she dislike more?' She decided to just take a stab at a guess.

"Fine, Kagome. Sesshoumaru Nokugami will stay with you in your room, and Inuyasha Nokugami will stay with Souta." She watched as Kagome began shaking, trying to control her anger.

"That's so not fair!!" She screamed. "You're trying to kill me, aren't you!" She rushed out of the room before a response could be made, and Kali went off in search of Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha.

She had to show them where they would sleep anyway, as it was quite obvious that Kagome wouldn't show the boys and if Kagome wouldn't, neither would Souta. The two were almost twins. Separated by ten months, but their personalities were almost identical.

She found the two boys easily. Inuyasha was watching T.V. in the living room, Sesshoumaru was reading in the library. She explained to them why they wouldn't get a room of their own on the way up to the attic.

When they reached the door to the attic, the boys saw that there were signs upon it that said "guests beware, death upon entrance" and "no fasting rooms beyond this point" and a variety of other signs.

As they climbed the well-lit staircase, they came to a long hallway, filled with pictures of Souta and Kagome. One side of the hallway had a long line of Kagome's pictures, starting from when she was a baby at the stairs and going all the way to a door at the end of the hallway.

Souta occupied the other wall in the same fashion. In the middle of the hallway were two doors, which was where Kali stopped. She pointed to the door on the left side of the hall, the side with all the pictures of Kagome.

"That's Kagome's room; the other is Souta's. There is a bathroom at the very end of the hall. Sesshoumaru, you'll stay in Kagome's room. Inuyasha, you'll stay in Souta's. They'll probably make you stay on the couches in their rooms."

Music suddenly blared from Souta's room as Kali entered. Souta was hopping around the floor with sweatpants on but no shirt, playing air guitar. "Souta!" Kali shouted above the music. He quickly turned it down.

"Sorry mama..." He apologized until he saw the Nokugami boys in the hallway. "What are they doing here?" He growled angrily.

"Inuyasha is going to stay in your room for tonight. I want you to behave." She warned. "Or else..." Souta turned the music up louder than before and began ignoring his mother. Kali closed the door momentarily, the sound dimming considerably.

"Go on in, Inuyasha. He'll probably ignore you." Inuyasha grumbled about it but went into the room. Kali turned to Sesshoumaru. "You'll stay in Kagome's room." She went to open the door, but it was locked. Just as she was reaching for a key ring at her hip, a shout came from the room.

"Don't even open that door mother! I will in a moment..." A crash and a moan was heard, then a string of cussing. A few seconds later, the door lock clicked and the door swung open, Kagome standing in a pair of blue and green plaid boxers and a plain blue tank top. She was massaging her shin and behind her a trunk was on the floor, its contents spilled out: thousands of tiny marbles of all sizes and colors.

"Touch anything and forfeit your life." Kagome told Sesshoumaru, calmly but furiously. She walked back into the slightly messy room, picking her way around her things as she went over to a computer, turning it on.

Sesshoumaru sighed, and then turned to Kali. "Thank you for your hospitality, Doctor Onigumo."

She shook her head. "I'm afraid I must ask you not to thank me yet. I was going to put you boys in a room together, and Kagome and Souta in a room together, but Kagome and Souta wouldn't have agreed to that. This was the only way. I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "You do what you can, and that's all you can do." He quoted his history teacher.

Kali turned away but then glanced back at Sesshoumaru with a stern look. "I don't think I have to worry about it, what with Kagome so aggressive, but I trust you to keep your hands to yourself."

Sesshoumaru blushed. "No, ma'am you don't have to worry."

Kagome glared at Sesshoumaru from the doorway. When she'd gotten there, Sesshoumaru didn't know. "Mother, don't worry. If he tries anything with me, I'll just rip off his balls and force feed them to him."

Kali looked shocked at Kagome's tone. "Kagome, don't speak like that."

Kagome said nothing, disappearing once more into the room.

Kali sighed and left to go down the stairs. She didn't know how this would turn out; she just hoped it would turn out all right. She also hoped that the Nokugami boys knew how to fight well enough, or they probably wouldn't make it to morning.

Sesshoumaru entered Kagome's room, stopping just inside the room to assess it. It was very small compared to his, but it was also not stiflingly small. She had a few items in her room that would be costly, her computer, the game console, and the wide screen T.V. and the stereo.

But the room was mostly moderate in expense. She had a futon bunk bed. The top was a loft; the bottom was a futon/couch. It was placed in couch form. She had two desks, one with her computer on it, the other without, but they weren't anything special.

There was a desk lamp on each of the desks, and a bookshelf filled with fiction books by various authors. There were a few random places where a group of ten or so music boxes were on a shelf on the wall.

Her closet was open, showing five new, never been out of the plastic covering, school uniforms and two hanging priestess robes. The dresser was near the closet, its drawers were shoved crudely into place, and next to that was a full hamper, the priestess robes that Kagome had worn being the top most items. There was a scattering of clothes on the floor as well, though thankfully no undergarments.

Surrounding the room's black painted walls were posters of different bands, clippings from newspapers, drawings, photos of her and her friends, posters of different anime shows, and tiny star and dot stickers littering the walls and ceiling.

There was paper crumpled up and ripped up by where the two desks stood back to back and there was a waste bin with soda cans filling it. Aside from the random thing here and there, the room was empty, carpeted in black plush carpeting. There was a double sliding door at the far side of the room that was closed.

On the desk with the computer on it was a black phone, probably connected to the phones in the rest of the house as a sort of intercom or something.

As the computer booted up, Kagome went to her stereo and CD stand, plucking a CD off it and putting it on. Techno music blared loudly out of the speakers and she went to pull up her Chat.

(rinokuna13 requests permission to add you to his/her messenger. Accept/Decline)

Kagome accepted, and then went into her desk drawer taking out a remote and switching song on the stereo.

"You can sleep on the couch." She said without looking at him. "That's the only thing in the room you have permission to touch." She looked to see who was on. Souta was on, but he was just across the hall if she wanted to talk to him.

Rin and Sango were on, but Sango was 'away from keyboard', Miroku was probably just getting off work, and Kohaku and Sango shared a computer. Kouga wasn't on.

Kagome pulled Rin up on her screen, but just as she did the girl got offline. She closed the box. Bored, Kagome got up from the computer, stretching tired limbs.

She'd worked too hard in the library. A bath would cure her aching muscles, she decided, so she got a towel and left the room, slamming the door behind her.

Souta on the other hand, was having a hard time with the arrangement. Neither Souta nor Inuyasha moved, just standing there yelling at each other about who was the better what.

Sesshoumaru used the time she was gone to go out to his car and get his overnight bag. It held his journal and some clothes. He sat in his car while he wrote his journal entry.

_Sesshoumaru's Journal Entry _

_August 31st, 2004 _

_Inuyasha and I have to stay at her house... It's just for a night, but I feel frightened nonetheless. Her friend found the journal entry I ripped out and the two read it... I wanted to cry when I saw her laughing at the fact that I keep a journal... _

_She didn't seem to know that it was I though. She seems to have it in mind that I can't cry... that I am completely emotionless. But I'm not. I care about a lot of things, but I'm afraid to show my feelings. Whenever I do, the person just calls me a freak. I'm positive that she knows I'm different. _

_I sometimes wish I were born a human, so that I wouldn't constantly have to say that I wear color contacts, dye my hair, and wear a stupid charm made by a witch to hide my traits. I think it is stupid that I can't just be myself. _

_I have so many friends, or at least they say they are my friends, but they are after my father's money... I suppose I am considered popular, but it grates on my nerves. I suppose that's another reason I'm attracted to her. She doesn't throw herself at me like the other girls in school do. _

_Her and her friends are outcasts from the school society, because they're different too, but all her friends are mostly human. They're different because of their attitudes. I like her attitude, though. Most people don't like it because she's not afraid to break rules. She has a friend who is a demon, but he doesn't have to lie about his traits. His charm covers all of them, and his hair and eyes are normal. I can tell he's a demon because I can smell it on him... _

_Sometimes I wish that I could just cry, just do it in front of everyone and let everyone know that I'm not completely emotionless. I want her to see that I have feelings too. I want the people who call themselves my friends to leave me alone. _

_I want that pain in the ass fan-girl club that follows me around, asking me out all the time to just go away. Inuyasha has friends like that too, and a fan-girl club too... I can see him getting more and more angry each time he has to deal with them. His girlfriend, Eleanor, doesn't do much to stop the 'fan-club' either. _

_She's actually a part of it which is scary to think about. School is getting more and more pointless, and tedious. It's strange going through the same thing over and over, yet ...it really isn't the same thing. It's always something new, but it feels like we just did whatever it was. In art class today, we were asked to draw a life-like picture of something. I did. _

_I drew Inuyasha and myself amongst a group of people who we could call friends. I didn't give the other people faces; just Inuyasha and I had faces. I wouldn't know what real friends would look like so I didn't draw them completely. I got downgraded for that. _

_I don't hate Inuyasha, but as brothers, we're going to quarrel... I just wish he didn't find this journal and read it. He knows now about how I feel about her so I'm stuck now. I'm stuck listening to him laugh at me for crushing on someone who won't even look at me twice. _

_Now, because he found that, we've got see Doctor Onigumo, Sunset's Shrink, who by some evil chance just happened to be her mother, and the office is in her house. Thankfully, though, Inuyasha has kept his mouth shut about what he saw in my journal, and about the reason we've got to be in counseling. _

_We both just sit there, not speaking. But Doctor Onigumo doesn't pressure us to talk either. It's strange... She's always writing on her yellow notepad, and I wonder what she's writing down for two hours straight. _

_Inuyasha, I know, is not at all pleased that father asked Doctor Onigumo if we could stay at the shrine for a night while he helped the movers take all our things to the new house. I wanted to help, because I don't like people touching my things, especially people I don't trust, which would be almost everyone... _

_I got angry with father last night when he told me to pack an overnight bag, but it was also something of a relief to hear we would be staying elsewhere for a night. We'd get away from Inuyasha's mother. Inuyasha looked murderous and grateful at the same time. _

_I did my best to keep my cool collected façade in place, but I knew it was slipping. Sometimes my father can be such a prick, like he was last night. I couldn't stand how he was treating us like we couldn't do anything. Like we were just spoiled rich brats, just like she treats us. _

_Then I realized that we were. We had things that most people in Sunset don't. But one thing we both hate having is a father who gives us the cold shoulder, and a mother, or stepmother in my case, who is a drunk and tries to touch us inappropriately. _

_What exactly are we supposed to do when she gets drunk like that? All we can do is lock ourselves in my room. I quarrel with my brother, yes, but I won't let him be violated. Since we can't fight back to stop her because father won't believe us and would immediately have us put in jail if we harmed her at all, we have no other option but to lock ourselves in a room somewhere. _

_Mostly all we do when she's drunk is play video games and try to forget. We can't though, and I can see it in Inuyasha's eyes. He can't forget any more than I can. It's really disturbing..._

It took forty-five minutes to write the entry and it ended up being six pages long in his small six by four notebooks. He shuddered and remembered the first time Inuyasha's mother had started drinking and being inappropriate with her sons.

He didn't want to think about it, but the memory still came. When he got back to the room Kagome was talking on her cell phone, wearing a towel. She was searching through her dresser drawers for something.

"What, Perv?" She asked.

"I just got off work and wanted to talk. Is that so bad?"

She took a shirt from the dresser, tossing it on a small pile on the floor. "When it is you, Perv, it is. Hang on, I gotta change. I just got out of the bath."

She set the phone on the dresser as Sesshoumaru slipped back into the hallway, dressing quickly. Once she finished, she went and opened the door, knowing Sesshoumaru was in the hallway. "Okay, back."

"So what color underwear are you wearing?" Miroku asked slyly.

"As if I'd tell you. You're such a perv."

"Ah, and I dream of your under"

"Miroku James!" Kagome yelled, blushing. "You finish that sentence and I swear you'll be a woman before school tomorrow." Kagome watched as Sesshoumaru quietly, almost meekly and unsure, walked over to the futon, sitting on it.

"Aw, you're no fun. So what bit your bum tonight?"

"Can't tell you. You'll laugh."

"I promise not to laugh."

"I'll tell you tomorrow. Or else Souta will. Either way works. I'm not too happy about it."

Souta came into the room, dragging Inuyasha. Souta was wearing a shirt now. "Kagome, hang up." He said irritably.

"Hey, Perv. I gotta go; Souta wants to talk."

"Okay, see you in school." Miroku told her and hung up.

Kagome hung up. "What?"

"Who is the better dancer? Me or dog-face?" Souta asked.

Kagome laughed. "What started this?" The two looked at each other, confused. Truth was, they weren't really sure. Kagome laughed again at their faces.

"Well, neither of you is." Both looked at her sharply and she just shrugged. "I've got the hips, and aside from that, Kouga and I are still the champions of the Sunday Dance Tournament."

"But we weren't asking about you. We were asking about us!" Souta complained.

"You drug me into it." Kagome grinned at his facial expression. "Want to have a mini-tourney? The one who can't keep up with me for the duration of one song has to clean my room and do my laundry, and if neither of you can, you both have to do it. Oh, and I choose the song."

"Okay."

"Alright."

Kagome grinned and turned on song eight of the CD that was in, pressing pause and throwing the remote to Sesshoumaru. She went to the middle of the clear space in the room. "You first, brother dear."

Souta scowled. "Fine, but don't call me that." He went over to her. "What do we get if we win?" He placed his left hand on the smooth skin of her abdomen, his other arm crossing between her breasts so his hand rested on her left shoulder.

He was an inch taller than her, for all he was ten months younger. She placed her right hand on the back of Souta's neck, her left hand and arm covering his left hand and arm. Her back was tight up against Souta's chest, this way they were able to (if they were skilled enough) know where the other was going.

"You won't, but on the off-chance that you do I'll agree to be your personal slave tomorrow."

Souta snickered. "Interesting."

"Sesshoumaru, press play." Kagome told him. He did as asked, the speakers blared and the two began. Souta was doing well for himself, but Kagome foiled him at the end, pivoting her hips. Inuyasha on the other hand was defeated immediately, when Kagome unexpectedly turned her head and bit his chin, startling him out of step.

"That's no fair!" He yelled, rubbing his chin.

Kagome laughed. "You can do it next Tuesday."

"I refuse!"

"Inuyasha, you made a verbal contract. You will keep your word." Sesshoumaru said from where he lay on the futon. He sounded amused.

Inuyasha got a sly look on his face then. "Fine...but only if you dance with her too." 'He'll so lose...' Sesshoumaru glanced at Inuyasha, obviously about to say no, but Inuyasha cut him off. "You'd better... or else I squeal... And besides, consider this a favor to repay all the favors!" He grinned at his older brother.

"Nark!" Souta shouted. "I always knew rich boys couldn't keep their mouths shut!"

Sesshoumaru glared at Inuyasha. "Idiot, Inuyasha."

Kagome laughed. "Ooh! I got myself a new victim then!" She looked thoughtful as he grumbled about it but nodded. "Well then, I want a new deal. You help me with the library, or I spend Saturday afternoon being your slave. Deal?"

"Fine..." But this...okay I can do this... This won't be too hard...I just can't let her unnerve me... TOO LATE! GOD!

Inuyasha smirked, knowing that his brother was struggling internally.

Sesshoumaru placed his hands in the positions they had to be and heard her chuckle. "Sesshoumaru, you're quivering... Any reason why?" She grinned, and put her hands where they had to go. He forced himself to relax and Souta started the song.

The speakers blared. Kagome searched for his weak spot, but he seemed to be always a step ahead of her. She began to get frustrated. 'What makes him tick?' She turned her head to look at his face. It was that stupid stony look that irked her so! She scowled.

Souta stared, wide eyed, as his sister slowly fell behind, she was getting frustrated. "No way..." He whispered. Inuyasha saw it too. He wondered what Sesshoumaru was doing to make Kagome so mad.

Kagome stumbled, turning to face Sesshoumaru. "Jerk, you did that on purpose!" She yelled.

"What, pray tell, did I do?" Sesshoumaru asked, curious. All he did was concentrate on the dance as much as he could and not on how his hand was on her smooth flesh.

"It's that... that stupid look of yours! God I hate it so much!" She shouted, pointing at him. "And now I've..." She paled. "Oh god..." She gulped, storming to the double doors and through them, slamming them shut.

She was out on the flat roof that led to both Kagome and Souta's room. This was where the two sometimes came to collect their scattered thoughts after a beating.

The bitter night's autumn wind whipped at her hair, trailing it out to the side of her, whipping across her face. She shivered slightly, the stones of the roof cold on her bare feet, the wind cold to her near bare legs and arms, since she was wearing a tank top and boxer shorts for pajamas.

"Kagome?" Souta had followed her out. He walked to stand next to her. "What did you mean?" He asked quietly.

She didn't answer for a moment, contemplating the best answer. "His stony 'I'm better than you' look... I hate it. He looks at me with it all the time. As if he's rubbing in that he's richer than we are... I hate that..."

"Well..." Souta started, but Kagome interrupted. "I'm going to get a soda. Want one?"

"Sure, 'Gome..."

Kagome went into the house again, down to the kitchen to get four sodas, figuring that the 'guests' would want one too. Once that was done, she went back up to her room, handing out sodas, glaring at Sesshoumaru as she popped hers. Nothing was said between anyone in the room.

A few moments later the phone rang. Not Kagome's cell phone, but the black phone. Kagome went and answered it. "Sunset Shrine Psychiatry, Kagome Higurashi speaking, how may I direct your call?" She said in an obviously falsely pleasant voice.

The voice on the other end was slurred and very recognizable. "Ahh... Cl...Kagome... Mi prec..cious daughter..."

Kagome scowled. "What do you want? Do you have any idea what time it is? THREE AM!"

The three boys in the room looked at her, startled at her tone. "Ahh... come pay...bail... for me."

"No! For all I could give a crap, you could rot there for life!"

"You'll... pay the thousand dollars and you know why... Because... your bro"

Kagome slammed the receiver down. "God dang it. I can't believe this!" She picked the phone off the hook again and again, slamming it down again and again. "Crap crap crap!"

"Kagome, calm down!" Souta hollered. "Who was it?" Kagome gave him a meaningful scowl. "Oh..."

"Yeah, 'Oh' is right. The idiot got himself in jail, and he wants me to pay his bail!" She slammed the phone down a few more times. And I'm being forced to do it. If he tries to harm Souta, I'll kill him. I swear I will. "Go to bed Souta. When things are better, I'll come to you." She said, just barely able to keep a grip on her temper.

"Okay..." Souta said in a quiet voice. "Inuyasha, let's go..."

Unsure of what else to do, Inuyasha just followed Souta out as Kagome went to her dresser. Just before Souta left the room, Kagome turned and said, "Lock your door, Souta. You know he's gonna be mad." Souta nodded and left.

Sesshoumaru watched, his face as calm as he could get it. His heart was still pounding from the dance earlier. He'd been in a semi-intimate position with Kagome, the girl he had such a large crush on, and he couldn't get over that fact.

"Something bothering you?" He asked, worried, but not letting it show. He could see her eyes were frightened, despite the fact that she looked raring to kill.

"Rich boys like you wouldn't understand." She said coldly, turning to her closet and kneeling down by the closet carpeting. She lifted the closet carpeting back and pulled up a few floorboards, taking out a box from the hole.

From it she counted out some money, the pile of money diminishing quickly but not completely. She replaced the box, floorboards, and carpet and stood, going back to her dresser and setting the money on top of it.

With her back to him, she pulled her tank top over her head and before his face turned scarlet with embarrassment at her indecency and he turned his back to her, he noticed the scars on her back. There were many there, old scars and recent welts, but her shirt had covered them all, so they weren't very high up, or too low down so that a shirt might accidentally show them.

There was one particularly bad looking one, crossing horizontally across the middle of her back being a nasty red color, since it was infected. He felt himself angry that she had those and could only imagine where she'd gotten them.

But he couldn't question her about them. He couldn't bring himself to, not wanting to know whether or not she had an 'other than perfect' life like he imagined.

"Stay here." He heard her say then. He turned back to see she was dressed in a thick black sweater and plain blue jeans with enormous pockets.

She grabbed the money from the desk and shoved it in her pocket, looking at him with angry eyes. He didn't see the fear in them anymore, making him wonder if it had ever been there at all. "Don't leave this room."

She left him there, exiting to the hallway. Stupid idiot. If I knew he was in there for life, I'd leave him there to rot... It's just that... it'll be ten times worse if I don't go get him.

She got into her car and buckled up, turning the stereo off. He wouldn't like the loud music, she knew. She got to the police station, placed towards the west of Sunset with the hospital across the street, and stepped out of the car.

She was no longer in 'her territory' as she called it. She was in the territory of the rivaling school, the ever-hated Public school. She left the keys in the ignition but turned the car off, running into the police station and up to the counter.

"Hi, I'm here to bail Naraku Onigumo out of jail." She said.

"Hello, Kagome." The desk clerk said. He knew Kagome well. Kagome was often the one to bail Naraku out. "He's keeping the police station in business..." The clerk tried to joke.

Kagome scowled. "Yeah, well he's getting us into debt even more every day. Just go get the bastard." She tossed the thousand dollars on the desk, hating Naraku even more. She'd been saving her money for a car, now she was down to about three hundred dollars. She'd never get a car before the end of the year now.

The clerk took the money and placed it into a register for bail and then went to get Naraku. Moments later, he was walking calmly towards Kagome. He didn't look intoxicated. Of course, he never looked it. He sounded it, and smelled it, but never looked it.

Naraku walked right by Kagome, heading towards her car. He got into the driver's seat and took off without Kagome. She was angry that he did that. An intoxicated man was now driving her vehicle. She could have stabbed him just then, multiple times, such was her anger.

She wished she could go right back into the station and tell that he'd done that, but he'd be even more furious at her if she did and she knew his anger would be too much for her if she did.

She began to walk home, knowing it would take quite some time. She knew a short cut that would get her to her house in an hour and a half, so she took it, risking the fact that those bullies from the rivaling school would probably tear her to shreds.

Unfortunately, she met a group of the public school's bullies after they ambushed her in an alleyway. They beat her thoroughly, though she did her best to fight back. It was hard to though when you're fighting ten to one. Cowards they were didn't think they could take her in a smaller group.

They took from her everything expensive after they'd beaten her. She was furious when they took her bell jewelry, even the earrings. She recognized the voice of the person who took them then.

"Thanks, Hell's Bitch." He said, using one of her least favorite names. "My sister'll love these." He left then with his troupe, leaving her there. She stood; sore and knowing that she was bruised badly. She stumbled her way back home holding her obviously sprained wrist to her chest, wishing she'd taken the main roads.

But soon she was on the last stretch of Main Street, where the road changed names from Main Street to Shrine Circle, a long stretch of road winding around through the countryside.

She climbed the steps upon seeing that the garage was closed. She'd closed the door, so she couldn't tell if Naraku had closed it or not. When she reached the front door, she tried it to find it locked. She swore.

Naraku was doing this on purpose; she knew he was. She didn't have the energy to walk all the way around to the back of the Shrine and she knew for sure that the side exits would be locked, so she trudged towards the flat roof and picked up a rock, tossing it at her window with her good arm.

She was off by a lot, but it was very difficult to get the rock three stories up especially after getting the crap kicked out of you. She tried a few more times, and then gave up, going and sitting on a bench by the God Tree. Soon though, she'd lain down, feeling queasy.

'Crap...' She thought. 'I didn't get my homework done...' In a life like hers, worrying about trivial things such as homework was all you could do. She couldn't worry about being hit, because it was going to happen anyway so she saw no point. She hated it, but didn't worry whether or not it would happen. It was a simple fact; she would be hit.

The hard stone bench hurt especially on her back. She knew countless of the welts were torn open because of the bullies beating on her, and her entire body tingled with the pain, but she didn't cry. She never cried. Not over something so trivial as pain. She knew they would heal. They always did.

She didn't know how much later it had been before she heard Souta's voice. He sounded worried, yet far off. She was in a daze, not really caring. "Kagome!" Souta shouted from the balcony. "Kagome, come on! Answer me!"

He yelled angrily. He turned to Sesshoumaru, who had come out to see what the commotion was. Inuyasha too was wearily coming out of Souta's room, rubbing sleepy eyes. "Can you go get her? She's not responding to me and is probably asleep... I know you can easily jump down there and back."

Sesshoumaru was slightly taken aback by that admittance but nodded slightly. He walked to the edge of the balcony, hopping on the one-foot thick stone rail, crouching there for a moment to gather his senses together and wonder about how Souta knew about him.

"What the hell are you doing, Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha asked as he reached where Sesshoumaru was on the ledge.

Thankfully, Sesshoumaru didn't have to explain since Souta did. "Kagome's locked out of the house, so it's either Sesshoumaru goes and gets her or else she wakes enough to climb the rope. She looks kinda dead though, and she'll be mad at me if I leave her there. I can't go get her, because I couldn't climb the rope with her."

"Oh." Inuyasha said, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He looked down at Kagome's sleeping form briefly before shoving his brother off the ledge. Sesshoumaru turned quickly, landing softly on his feet so he didn't break his neck from the fall. Inuyasha was laughing at him, he could see and hear.

Sesshoumaru walked over to the bench where Kagome was and saw her struggling to sit up. When he saw in the dim light from lampposts her form, he took a shocked step back. "What the hell happened to you?" He asked, a little worry entering his voice.

Kagome turned to see him with her good eye, the unswollen eye. "What does it look like? I got jumped." She said bitterly. As she struggled to sit up, he went to help her, picking her up as though she weighed as much as a feather and walked towards the building's edge. She didn't let him take her willingly though. "What the crap! Put me down, I'm not helpless!" She said.

As she asked, he set her on her feet, but she fell forward with an anguished cry. "Looks to me like you need my help." He said dryly, picking her up again, ignoring her protesting. He jumped easily up to the ledge.

"Ha ha, very funny, Ice Prince." Kagome remarked sarcastically.

"Holy crud, 'Gome, what happened?"

"Nothing." She said, struggling out of Sesshoumaru's grasp and placing herself gently on the ground.

"Don't lie to me, Kagome. Why did you have to walk home, and where is he?"

Kagome turned sharply towards her little brother, hissing as her abused ribs gave a painful creak. Souta backed a step away from her. "I have no clue where the hell he is! If I did, do you think I would have walked home, through Medallion territory, by myself, gotten the crap kicked out of me, gotten my bells stolen, and be standing here looking like this if I knew? Souta, don't act stupid! Put two and two together; he stole the car while intoxicated, knowing full well that I couldn't go back into that police station and report him for it!"

Kagome had forgotten that Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were there, so when she remembered, she growled at her own stupidity. "Why can't you report someone for stealing your car?" Inuyasha asked, before Sesshoumaru could.

Kagome glanced at Inuyasha, not sure how to answer.

"Rich boys wouldn't understand." Souta grumbled, moving to help his sister to her room. Kagome accepted his help much easier than she did Sesshoumaru's.

Inuyasha blinked, confused. When the two figures had entered Kagome's room, Inuyasha turned to Sesshoumaru. "Rich boys?" He asked with dry humor evident in his voice.

Sesshoumaru sighed, rubbing his forehead. He could feel a headache coming on, both from lack of sleep for the past few days and from listening to shouting and terribly loud music. "Just ignore it, Inuyasha." He said. "Enjoy the time away from home as best you can."

Inuyasha nodded. "Goodnight, Sesshoumaru." He said, going to Souta's room.

Moments later, Sesshoumaru went to Kagome's room, where he saw Kagome lying stomach down on the futon wearing no top but wearing the boxer shorts from earlier.

Souta was next to Kagome, kneeling on the floor and rubbing some ointment on the bleeding welts on her back. Seconds after Sesshoumaru had entered; Inuyasha came in from the door to the hallway, gasping as he saw Kagome's back.

Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha, knowing they weren't staring at any exposure of her breasts, but at her back. "Is there something wrong?" She asked, almost too sweetly, trying to smooth over the pain she felt as the ointment burned away any infection.

"What happened to your back?" Sesshoumaru asked, his voice stern and commanding, demanding an answer. He walked closer to examine it as Inuyasha did.

"Shut up." Kagome said, hissing and clutching the blanket on the futon as Souta ran the ointment across the worst, lengthiest of the welts. "I told you, I get jumped." She hadn't used got; she'd used get, the plural form. So this had happened more than once?

Soon Souta had cleaned Kagome's wounds and bandaged her sprained wrist, and he covered her with the black sheet from the top bunk. It was best not to really cover them with bandages.

The bandages would just soak up all the ointment and make it pointless, so what he did was keep her back bare and give her the edges of the blanket so she could be sure her chest was covered. She always slept on her stomach anyway, so worrying about moving so her bare chest was visible was useless.

"Thanks Souta." Kagome said, drifting off into slumber.

Souta turned to Sesshoumaru. "You better not peep on my sister while she's sleeping, rich boy." He warned. "You can use the top bunk."


	3. Third Chapter

The next morning dawned gray and gloomy, threatening rain. When Kagome's alarm clock went off, sounding sickly and grating on one's mind, she got up, wrapping the blanket around her bare shoulders to search for the half-broken clock.

She found it under her stereo stand; probably there from being thrown the previous morning by a disgruntled Kagome who had been irritably awaken at such an inconvenient hour for school. Really, mornings would be so much better if they had them in the afternoons... Kagome thought bitterly.

It was a cordless, battery-operated clock with black encasings and bright red glowing numbers on it. She took it out from under the stand and shut it off, too sore to break it to smithereens and not wishing to have to buy a new one so early into the school year.

Truly the year had just started a few weeks before, and already her clock was half broken, a few screws loose, the battery compartment being held together with duct tape, and not to mention the spring that was sticking out from under the snooze button, making it so she couldn't use it or else she'd get poked.

She got up and showered, noticing she was the first one up. Even the sun had yet to crest the sky to greet the receivers of the sunrays. One could tell that the sun would arise soon but it would be a rainy day so you would probably only see patches of the sun, if that.

It was Friday, finally. Kagome needed the break, yet dreaded it. She would, if Sesshoumaru held her to it, spend Saturday being his slave, and probably spend Sunday being beaten by Naraku. She could remember a time when Naraku had not been so mean, but that was a long time ago.

Kagome went back into her room; towel wrapped around her body as she carefully chose her clothes for that day. She decided she wanted to wear a black pair of pants like Sango often favored (though there were those few days that Sango went with other colors), with the double color stripes up the outside of the pant legs, choosing a pair with silver silk stripes.

They were loose around the legs to allow free movement, yet snug on the hips so they wouldn't fall down. Next she found a black wide strapped tank top, to go under a silver spaghetti strapped tank top made of silk with a black dragon curled up on the stomach region of the shirt and black words crossing horizontally across her chest saying "Hell's Bitch" on it.

Tonight, though she was sore, she was going to get her bells back. So what better way to do it than to make a statement about it? After all, it had been this shirt that had given her the name. By wearing it, she was declaring war, though very few people would realize that.

Every day she saw some of the rivaling school's bullies, whose numbers rose every day as they recruited new members, prowling "Hell's Kitchen" which was what the Sunset Public school bullies called her territory.

She changed in the bathroom, leaving her hair loose. If she tied it back, that would be saying 'come scalp me' to anyone who wanted to be aggressive towards her. Her black tank top had a built in bra, so she didn't have to worry about bouncing anywhere, and her wrist had obviously not really been sprained, because a sprained wrist couldn't possibly heal so fast as just a few hours.

She, as always happened before, was confused that already her bruises were yellowing when they should be a shiny blue-purple.

She brushed her teeth and began to dry her hair. When she'd finished blow-drying her hair, she put on her dark eyeliner, and silver eye shadow along with silver lip-gloss.

She liked this silver lip-gloss because it made her lips look silver and made it shine, but she knew that most people looked down on her when she wore it because it gave the appearance that it was something much different.

Funny how disturbing people's thoughts are these days. Kagome thought and grinned at her reflection.

Lastly she put in some ordinary earrings so that her ears didn't feel so empty or start to close and left the bathroom. The sun was peaking through a tiny hole in the sky, shining on the very center of Madison's Labyrinth. Of course, the sun had funny ways of gazing down upon the world.

She went and began pounding on Souta's door. "Ten minutes, or I leave without you." She hollered. She heard the sound of Souta falling off his loft and grimaced. How he managed to retain brain cells after falling from a seven-foot high loft bed day after day, she had no idea.

She went in her room where Sesshoumaru was just waking up. She cocked her head at him. He actually looked cute when he was just waking up. Not that I'll admit it aloud. She thought. When he didn't have his icy mask in place, he seemed much more fluid in his motions. He didn't seem to be any less graceful than before, but he just seemed less stiff without that icy mask.

Slowly, the mask grew in place until it was one of sheer and utter perfection. No one would see how he felt through that mask. His brother was the only one who could read through his stoic mannerisms, but that was a consequence of the fact that they seemed to share a lot of time together at home – since home was practically the only place they could go other than school.

Their father never allowed them to go anywhere else. But, as teens will rebel, they did sneak away to the Rave once in a while. Hence the ability to dance, for they would not learn by practicing with each other. No, they were not incest, by any rights.

She scowled when that mask fitted into place and he gave her his 'I'm better than you' gaze. Somehow he managed to look so drop-dead gorgeous despite just waking up and having that damn look on his face and how he did it, Kagome could not fathom – nor would she try.

"Are you planning to leave my bed any time soon, my sweet Ice Prince?" She said, lathering honey and sugar into her voice, knowing her mother was out in the hall. She could practically taste her mother's shocked scent on her tongue once she'd said that.

Her mother had said to be nice... she was going to play it out for her mother. She smirked, holding back laughter as the mask fell for a second to reveal his confused personage. She watched as he jumped down from the top bunk, the mask slipping effortlessly into place once more.

"'Gome!" Souta said, coming into the room looking disheveled, like he'd thrown on his clothes in the dark and his hair plastered to his face, wet from the shower.

He wore shorts, despite the cold weather of the morning, and a shirt that said 'I'm free at last from the pestering monkeys!' with a picture of a monkey peering around the corner behind a cheering happy stick figure. Soon his wet hair would dry and become its usual messy mop of hair. He quickly regarded his sister and her choice of clothes, and then snickered. "So... who's it gonna be today?"

Kagome chuckled, turning completely to face her brother. "I'll tell you later." She promised.

Kagome's mother came into the room, looking exhausted. She handed Kagome an envelope. "Thank you, Kagome." She said simply, though she didn't sound happy.

Kagome took the envelope and set it on her desk, picking up her backpack. "Where is your bell jewelry, Kagome?" She asked, noticing the absence of them, even the earrings, from Kagome's personage.

Kagome smiled a small smile. "I decided not to wear them today." As usual, the lie came swiftly and easily, because Kagome didn't want to hurt her mother's feelings by admitting the loss of half of her two thousand dollar jewelry set. Her mother looked dubious, but Souta quickly tried a save from more questions.

"I've got to be to school early, 'Gome, and Sango can't pick up Miroku today so we've got to be..." He trailed off as he saw her mother staring disapprovingly at Kagome's choice of clothing.

"Kagome, I want that shirt off you now."

"And I want you to divorce that bastard, but I don't seem to be getting my way, do I?" Kagome quipped, cutting deep. She knew her mother was hurt when she said that, but she was still upset at Naraku for the previous night.

But that wasn't enough to deter her mother. "Kagome, you will not go to school in a shirt like that. I have tolerated your disobedience so far, but this is getting to be ridiculous."

Sesshoumaru watched the argument. It was a very serious argument, he could tell, but neither raised their voice at the other. He recalled hearing Kagome yell at her mother the previous night, but supposed that when things got serious, Kagome didn't lash out like a five year old and scream at her mother. No, she just spoke calmly.

"And I have tolerated his shit so far... I don't see you complaining about a single one of his 'escapades'."

Kali's lips pressed into a thin line momentarily and her eyes looked haunted. "I'm trying, Kagome." She apologized, walking out of the room.

Sesshoumaru didn't understand any of it, but it was clear to him that Kagome and Souta had understood every word of it. It seemed that anything serious they had said was in code, yet again it wasn't. It felt like it should be crystal clear, but also should be foggy and opaque.

He didn't understand, and it bothered him. He preferred understanding over not.

Kagome and Souta left for school, both being late in picking up Miroku because they had to clean the vomit out of the car that had sat rotting for the past few hours. It was disgusting to both to have to smell it, so they rolled the windows down and left them down, even though the day threatened rain.

Kagome, Miroku, and Souta met Sango and Rin in the cafeteria, Rin who had just gotten off the bus a few moments before Kagome and Sango had arrived in their separate vehicles with their separate car parties.

"So who're you challenging?" Sango questioned, glancing at Kagome's shirt and crossing her arms across a chest covered by a hot pink tube top under a black mesh shirt and wearing the normal black pants with double stripes to match her shirt choice of the day: pink.

Her eyes were once again covered with pink eye shadow, the usual dark eyeliner, and lip-gloss. She wore the locket again, as she did every day, and her hair was in its usual pony tail, only today she'd braided it from there as well.

There was an angry flush growing in her face when she saw Miroku inch towards another girl, a preppy girl who would be Kagome's double if she didn't have brown eyes. "Miroku!" She shouted. Too late. With a loud resonating slap, he was down, and the girl's eyes were filled with fear and anger as she looked at her hands and ran away.

Miroku came back seconds later, rubbing his cheek. "What I don't get is why they're not used to it." He said in a half-whine. Today the lecher favored blue-purple khakis and blue-purple t-shirt. It matched the blue-purple bruise now forming on his cheek.

Kagome laughed. "See, Perv, that's where you go wrong." She told him. "They are used to it. But you should watch who you grope. Some of these rich brats have the power to get you kicked out of school."

Miroku sighed, nodding at the truth of the words. Some of these teens who went to Sunset Private School could get him kicked out of school had they so desired. It was them who you had to avoid when outcast from society circle like Kagome and her friends.

Taisei, Karei and her group were one of them who you had to watch out for. In fact, it would make more sense if you didn't bother them at all, because they had great influences and would make your life a living hell in school if you got in their way.

Kagome looked at Rin, who was watching the group converse with interest. She was rule abiding, wearing standardized school uniform clothing, no jewelry as was protocol, so she wasn't an immediate outcast, but if it circled that she was hanging around with Kagome and her friends, the girl didn't know what she had coming.

Either way, if the girl decided she didn't want to hang out after the initial warning that would be given, that was always given, then Kagome and her friends would never pressure her to stay. But if she did stay, Kagome and her friends would protect her.

Doubtless they would protect her if she decided to go as well, because her gentle disposition would no doubt get her into a lot of trouble. Her hair was up in that weird hairdo again, but that was really the only oddity of the girl. She was a very pretty girl but that small short pile of hair that hung off the right side of her head gave her the weirdest light.

She had obviously a decent sized chest matching in comparison to the size of her body, and her legs were shaved perfectly, unscathed like Kagome's usually were. Kagome was getting better at the shaving her legs thing though. She'd been practicing, not that she'd admit it though. She was tired of cutting herself each time.

Rin's hands were perfectly manicured and painted with clear nail polish so that she didn't go against school rules. The nail polish was probably a strengthener for her nails so there was less chance they'd break.

"Hey, Chicky, how was your evening?" Kagome asked, trying to evade Sango's constant questioning on whom she was challenging and why she had a black eye.

Rin turned her attention to Kagome, smiling pleasantly. "I had a very nice evening. Thank you, Miss Kagome."

Kagome winced at the formality. "Just call me Kagome, or 'Gome. No formalities, okay?"

"Who are you challenging, Mebana!" Sango insisted. "Tell me now!"

"I'd like to know as well, 'Gome." Souta put in.

Miroku nodded his agreement, sliding up to Kagome, his hand squeezing her rear in what he called 'a friendly way'. "I would like to know, but before you tell us, may I point out that you have as lovely a rear as ever?"

Kagome grabbed his hand from her bottom, digging a nail into the flesh under his thumbnail. He cried in pain, nursing his abused thumb when she released him.

Sesshoumaru, watching this from another table in the cafeteria, his 'fan club' flocking around him as he pretended to be busy reading, felt himself get jealous. No, not because Miroku was hurt and he was not, but because Miroku had the indecency to rub the bottom of a ...dare he think it?

Yes, she was a goddess. No, not just any... she was like the Greek Goddess of Love and Beauty herself, Aphrodite... and she had certainly caught the eyes of many in the school, outcast or no...

How he hadn't realized this until today, he didn't know, but he did see the admiring glances some of his fellow student body were giving her, male and female alike. But for each one who admired her, at least ten who gave her scornful glances made up for it.

He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he could see that she was smirking widely as she said it, whatever it was. He watched the other's faces for a second go from angry, and then to malicious. Whatever she was telling them; it was most certainly devious.

The bell rang and he stood, preparing for first period: Art class. He had that class with Kagome. Each time he thought of that class, his heart skipped a beat, because he was always able to just sit in his corner table and draw.

Mostly he drew for himself, pictures of Kagome in his journal. In his corner, he always had a perfect view of her where she sat at her table with her friends. He always made sure of that. If he didn't, he would glare at whatever obstruction was in the way until they were thoroughly unnerved and moved.

He was surprised to see that they had a new teacher that day, which was strange because in all the years he'd been at Sunset Private School, since seventh grade, Mr. Jokuson had never missed a single day.

Now though, the teacher was obviously a new one. For one, she was female. Where Mr. Jokuson had lacked terribly in intrigue and eye-catching abilities, this woman was the opposite. Though she still wore respectable clothing her make up described her as something of a rebel with its bright red lipstick and bright red nail polish and bright blue eye shadow, with a light layer of eyeliner.

She looked fresh out of college, and very eager and outgoing. She had the look of someone you could trust with your secrets, and nothing about her seemed displeasing to the eye or nose.

Sesshoumaru could not smell the lingering traces of misdeeds and dishonesty on her like he often could smell on Mr. Jokuson. On the board in artistic calligraphy was chalked the name Ms Lea Saeko.

Once the bell had rung, Sesshoumaru noticed the distinct absence of Kagome and her friends. Ms Saeko didn't appear to notice too much about the absence of one eighth of the class and began introducing herself.

"Good morning, class!" She said cheerily. Now that he heard her voice, he realized how wrong he was of Ms Saeko. No matter how trusting she might seem, there was great mischief in that voice. "My name is Ms Saeko. I'll be your teacher for the remainder of the—"

It was at that choice moment that Kagome and her friends decided to burst into the room, laughing. He noticed the newest girl to Kagome's group was very red in the face and not-so subtly embarrassed as she walked ahead of the others to sit at Kagome's table and Kagome and Sango were dragging an unconscious perverted minded boy towards the table. Souta took up the rear; laughing so hard he was in tears.

It was a few moments before they got themselves under control.

Most of the class grumbled about Kagome and her groups' behavior. Ms. Saeko just put on a smile and started over. "Now that we seem to have the whole class, let's start over!" She said brightly.

"I'm Ms Saeko, and I'll be your teacher for the remainder of the year. Now, I was reviewing all that Mr. Jokuson was so kind enough to leave for me, and I have noticed that in all your time, all you've done is draw items in the room."

She began to pass out little orange field trip slips to the whole class, with the information all filled out on it already. "I've already okayed this with the school board, so now all there is left to do is to get your parents permission. On Saturday, August twenty-third, we will be going on a field trip to Sunset Shrine's expansive garden. This is a very required field trip, so your slip must be turned in."

Kagome stood, eyeing the new teacher carefully. She didn't want all these reckless fools in her garden! 'Not to mention that tomorrow is the twenty-third... a field trip so quickly?' "How did you get permission for a field trip to the Shrine Garden?" She asked her voice layered with honey.

Ms Saeko smiled at the curious rule-breaking outcast from society. "The owner of the Shrine is my Aunt, so I just asked." She said, shrugging.

Souta began choking on the water he'd been drinking from. "Pardon?" He asked in a squeaky voice, turning to look at Ms Saeko.

"I said," she began patiently, "the owner of the Shrine, Doctor Kali Onigumo, is my aunt, so I just asked."

Kagome blinked, staring at her obvious cousin who she had never known about. Her cousin looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight. Finally after a long moment, she sat down heavily, looking at her hands. I'll kill anyone who messes up my Eden. She thought. It wasn't easy caring for a sixteen-acre garden, even with the help that they had.

"Alright, now. I want all permission slips turned in by tomorrow morning at eight o'clock when you will arrive at school. We will take a bus to the Shrine. Tents and sleeping arrangements will be provided for the separate groups. You are required to bring ONLY necessary items.

"I'm combining all of my drawing classes for this field trip. You will be on your own after the first day in terms of food, so you are given permission to fish in the lake or river, and hunt deer –only for food of course, and this will be monitored.

"Your group will be expected to draw a mural portraying your week spent in the Garden upon return the Monday after. This project will take about two weeks. We'll be spending from the twenty-third until the thirty-first in the Garden. You will be outdoors this entire time, sleeping outside with your group members, whoever they may be.

"Now, I will stress one last time that this is a required field trip. You are getting out of school for a week. If you don't get your permission slips signed and be at school before the bus leaves at eight o'five tomorrow morning, you will be given a zero for the semester."

Ms Saeko said, through a wide smile as she looked at her students. But it appeared she had one last surprise for the students. "I will be choosing the groups."

Kagome had a sick feeling in her gut. She just knew something bad was going to happen. She was going to get a bad group, and she knew it.

Ms Saeko smiled and plucked a sheet from the counter top she was leaning against. "Oh, and look! I have them ready already!"

Sangoful glances were exchanged across the room. "Group number one in this room will be: Alexandra Graham as head of group, which means you are in control of your group; and with Graham will be Towa Ayuta; Fur Mori; Azumi Seirra; and Sara Graeme.

"Now, to make this easy, I want everyone to stand out of his or her seats and as I read the groups, take a place at the table with your group." Reluctantly the class stood and rearranged.

"Group number two," Ms Saeko continued, "will consist of Gina Shoma; and his group mates are Sethy Graeme; Wythe Graeme; Akira Isukawagari; and Gabrielle Nometo." The said group went to a table and sat down.

"Group three will consist of Souta Higurashi; his group mates will be Sango Ichiro; Rin Okuna; Kikyou Motshuria; Miroku Shishuni; and Kohaku Ichiro." With very little grumbling, the group sat down, minus Kohaku because he was not there, with sympathetic glances towards Kagome.

"Group four will consist of Kouga Wolfe, and his group mates will be Inuyasha Nokugami," which was a bad mistake. The two would shred each other apart before they could get a mile into the garden. " Eleanor Jackson; Ayami Paberi; and Michealberry Leffam." Already Inuyasha and Kouga looked murderous towards each other.

Kagome's heart fell. There were six of them left. None of the five liked Kagome. All of them were preps... Oh how Hell loved to torment her.

"Group five will consist of the remaining six of you, Karei Taisei as leader, with Kagome Higurashi; Sesshoumaru Nokugami; Hiten Dansuka; Chrisa Noraumi; and Maren Lirali."

Kagome scowled at her newfound yet seemingly not very kind cousin, who she'd never known existed. She was doing this on purpose; she just knew it. She begrudgingly went and sat at the table. At least some reassurance came with the fact that she knew the Garden, even the forest that grew wild, by heart. If she wanted, she could just ditch them.

"Now don't blame me if you don't like the arrangements. Blame the popcorn popper." Ms Saeko said cheerfully. "I just wrote down the names as they flew out of it, and if your name started on fire, I placed you in the last group."

Kagome began pounding her head on the table, slowly; to a rhythm only she could hear. It was a comforting motion for a moment, but then she started to feel a headache form. She knew it would be a very long day. A very long day indeed. And it was still first period. Only thirty-three more minutes of agonizing first period.

She looked at the desk arrangement. Sesshoumaru sat at the very end of the table, Maren, Karei, and Chrisa all swamped Sesshoumaru and Hiten, somehow at the same time. It was freaking Kagome out.

She moved her chair to the far end of their counter/table and took out her sketchbook, flipping through to an empty page, ignoring Ms Saeko as she explained that they had to do mini-sketches while they were out there as well.

She took out her number two pencil from where it was stuffed in the spine and began to draw. She drew a detailed yet simplistic picture of Sesshoumaru and Hiten sitting where they were with the three girls molesting their backs. She thought it wasn't far from accurate.

She snorted back laughter and added fangs to Maren and Chrisa, making them look like demons though she knew they weren't. She doubted if they really had fangs, claws, pointed elf-ish ears, or any of that stuff, but with the way Karei always treated Kagome, she was sure she wasn't too far from the truth with her when she added the hideous features of a devil's face, all wrinkled and sunken eye sockets with no eyes, no meat on her flesh, just the school uniform hanging loosely from her shoulders, threatening to fall off.

She erased Sesshoumaru's stony look and Hiten's happy look (because he was glad for the attention) and made them look utterly petrified for their very souls. She finished five minutes before the bell and burst into laughter at her picture.

Even her own friends looked at her, worried for her sanity. But when the bell rang and they came over and saw the picture, they too burst into laughter, wiping tears from their eyes.

At lunch period, Kagome exited fourth hour, running late for lunch. She would never get any of the good food if she didn't hurry, but unfortunately the science teacher was evil and kept her after because she'd run out of the room exclaiming 'Be right back, gotta go!'

So what if she was girl! She suffered just like all other girls, and just because the science teacher was an old woman, who would never again experience the pains of the menstrual cycle, didn't mean she had to keep her after!

I mean, seriously! Kagome thought bitterly, not paying attention to where she was going as she rushed down the hallway. She unfortunately for her luck ran into someone, and both went down in a tumble of books, pencils, and bodies.

"Aw crud!" Kagome muttered into whoever's chest. Obviously they were male because they clearly had no breasts. She vaguely noticed they were wearing the male school uniform, so obviously they weren't a part of her friend group. It could be Kouga.

That guy obeyed the rules, but was friendly to Kagome. She rolled off of them, gathering her books, muttering an apology to whoever they were (she was in too much of a hurry to care who she'd just ran over) and was off down the hall again before the person could so much as blink.

He felt the familiar sensation of heat rising to his face, but forced it back down. He would not be weak, damn it! He would not blush! He felt like composing a song just then, so he headed for the music rooms after picking up his strayed books.

What is it about Kagome Higurashi that makes me so... weak..? Sesshoumaru thought, sitting down to the computer and pulling up the music composer program and began out simple. It started out a child's song, and then moved on to being an illustrious graceful ornate musical score.

He saved it to a disk, one he kept with him so that he could save all his songs. He loved to write them. Problem was finding words for them.

Kagome entered the cafeteria, just in time to see them closing the lunch doors. "No!" She yelled. "My lunch!" She sighed and headed over to hers' and her friends' table.

"Poor you, Kagome. You're always behind today." Sango said. "But I have some news that'll cheer you up!"

Kagome looked warily at the happily eating Sango and stole a smilie-fry from her tray. "What?"

"Well! You'll be very happy to know that sixth hour band class is going to be starting"

Kagome groaned. "Sango, I already know we're starting the Andrew Lloyd Webber Collections today. I've known that for a week! Why do you think we were talking about it all Monday?"

Sango grinned. "Hey, I'm trying to give you something to take your mind off things. Don't you ever take help when it is given?"

Kagome chuckled and stole some more food from Sango's tray, and then noticed Kohaku. "Oh, hey Trip!" She said, grinning. "When'd you get here?"

Kohaku glared at Sango. "Third period. Our oh-so-beloved Thief decided she would steal my car keys so I had to walk! I would'a rode my bike, but no!"

Kohaku over dramatized everything. He was like a male drama queen. "She popped my bicycle tires! And dad needs his bicycle or I'd'a borrowed his! And does the beloved Sango have a bicycle? NO! She doesn't!" By then he was franticly waving his arms in the air, trying to demonstrate his frustration.

Rin piped up then, "Why are you all called the nicknames you are called?" She was genuinely curious. From what she could gather, Kagome had more nicknames than she could count using fingers and toes, or at least it seemed that way. But what she didn't get was how these nicknames came about.

Kagome and the others all gave a laugh at the memories and each began to explain one another's nicknames. "Well, Souta is called Pillow because everyone always used him as a pillow when we were little and had a sleep over. He's called Jerk because he is one." Kagome said casually ignoring Souta's glare with a grin planted firmly on her face.

"Sango is called Thief because she steals from everyone." Souta explained. "She gives the things back if she likes you, but if she doesn't like you, you're outta luck."

"Miroku is called Perv by practically the whole school. It's either that or 'Red-faced one' because he's always got a red handprint on his face." Sango glanced at Miroku discretely through her bangs, wanting to laugh at the expression on his face. He actually was blushing!

Miroku recovered from his bout of embarrassment quickly though. "Anyway, Kohaku is called Trip, and Drama Queen, because if he's not tripping over something, he's over dramatizing everything."

Kohaku placed a hand over emotionally to his forehead and falling back in his chair as though he were feeling faint. "Oh woe besotted is me, thy breakest my ailing grievous heart with thy piercing words; oh sweet heaven above, save thine humble servant! For doth my love, my sweet Ricky, stabbeth me in my weary body, lashing such a fragile soul to pieces with his torturous words!" The group broke into laughter at his antics and he grinned widely.

Finally after a few moments, the group regained control of themselves. Rin turned happily to Kagome. "So what's your nickname, and why are you called it?" She asked.

Kagome chuckled. "I've got more nicknames than I can count anymore, and not even I know the reasons for half of them."

"Well what are the ones you do know the reason for?"

"Well," Sango started, "there's Mebana, because her many greats grandmother was one." When Kagome glared at Sango, she quickly added, "But Kagome doesn't like to be called that."

"Why not?" Oh so innocent brown eyes peered at Kagome, begging to know.

Kagome sighed. "Well, because being a Mebana was my grandmother's downfall, and I –highly unlikely as it is- don't want to go the way she did. Some day I'll tell you how she died, but not today." Kagome added as she saw Rin on the verge of asking.

Rin nodded. "So what are your other ones?"

Kohaku and Souta snickered. "There's always Hell's Bitch, because she's supposed to be the lover of the devil and carrying his child." Souta said.

"Medallion gave her that name. Medallion is our enemy, the leader of the bullies from Sunset Public School." Miroku added.

"Therein lies no love between our sweet-tempered Hell's Bitch and her most feared of enemies, Medallion." Kohaku said, almost dreamily.

"And then there is 'Gome." Sango said. "It was mine, Kohaku's, and Souta's childhood name for her, and it sorta stuck all the way to now."

"What's the reasoning behind my nickname?" Rin asked.

Kagome grinned. "Because you are a chick, and acted like a scared baby chicken when we came yesterday. Who knew that you'd open up as quickly as you did, and it only took a single grope from Miroku's cursed hand!"

Rin blushed and ducked her head. "I said I was sorry about that!" She whispered.

Everyone at the table laughed, even Miroku. "Chicky, don't be sorry!" Sango said gleefully. "You knocked him clear across the hallway; he was out for twenty minutes! That's something to be proud of!"

A smile spread across Rin's face when Kohaku said the next words. "Be it friend or foe, ye never let a man nor a woman touch you in any way shape or form that is unwanted in your presence of mind, for they are committing a sin to ye and ye must punish unwanted sins. Thus, Perv's contingency to have thine bright handprint emblazoned upon his face! For he can receive no greater gift than thine handprint... lest Sango murder him for cheating on her."

Sango got up and walked over to Kohaku, who was laughing like a madman at his own words, beginning to beat him on the head with Souta's adgenda.

Yet, the smile stayed on Rin's face. She imprinted his words in her mind. '...for they are committing a sin to ye and ye must punish unwanted sins...' They would ring clearer and clearer for her as the sands of time continued to drop through the hourglass that was continuously turning as it emptied itself again and again.

"Come on, let's go dump our trays and walk around the school for a while." Souta suggested. The suggestion was taken eagerly and the group began walking towards the hallways to waste away the remaining lunch period.

As they walked, they chatted idly, heading towards their lockers to get their things –or in Kagome's case, to exchange her things – and prepare for fifth period. Fifth period was the O-so-dreaded-foods-and-parenting class, as Kohaku had so finely put it. At least it was for Kagome and Kohaku anyway.

The others didn't have that class. Rin might have, if it weren't such a filled class. Believe it or not, it was a very strived for class, by guys and girls alike, in the school and not because you cooked food.

It was strived for because you learned how to be a good Housewife/Househusband and at the same time a Mother/Father. There was a two year waiting list to get into the class. Sango's father had insisted that she and Kohaku take the class, but Sango had taken it the previous year.

Miroku had taken it the previous year because Sango had. Souta had paled at the thought of it. Kagome just took it because she liked to cook, and learning how to be a parent she figured might prove useful later in life because she doubted she would just stay as she was.

Sango had Chemistry fifth period, Miroku and Souta had Gym, and Rin had (Kagome soon learned) Advanced Algebra. Truly the tiny girl was amazing. She was so small yet she was so smart.

Kagome stored in her memory that Rin was good at math so if she needed help she could get it. Math was Kagome's worst subject. She never understood those hideous equations!

Soon the end of lunch bell sounded and everyone had to part ways to go to their separate classes. Kohaku and Kagome went towards Foods, as Kagome explained what he'd missed over the past two days he'd been gone.

"We cooked an omelet and made scrambled eggs. Mrs. Zeishun said we're gonna start a new unit today, but she's so inattentive that I doubt we'll really be starting the new unit."

"Oh woe! Woe be gone, for I doth now have more make-up work!" He complained, while Kagome grinned. It was his over dramatizing that had gotten him into seeing her mother, the shrink, in the first place. His father thought it was a serious ailment. But it was just Kohaku being goofy all the time.

"Heh, don't worry!" Kagome said, grinning from ear to ear. "I told her you were actually there and she believed me and gave you the credit."

Kohaku looked at Kagome with starry eyes, walking backwards in front of her. "Oh my bittersweet pearl, death would befall my flimsy downtrodden figure if not I had you!" Unfortunately, walking backwards was not very easy without eyes in the back of your head and he tripped backwards into the foods door, making the door slam open.

Kagome laughed, stepping over him into the room. "Bittersweet, Trip?" She asked him, curiously. "Fortunately the ground and door broke your fall or you might have suffered some serious damage."

Mrs. Zeishun looked at the two grinning teens disapprovingly. "Ahh, I say detention for you both!"

Kagome snickered and she loosely draped an arm around Kohaku's shoulder. "That's right, I am the bittersweet pearl, and you are saved from death an hour longer while you serve a DT with me!" She said and snickered again.

Kohaku threw his hands dramatically towards the heavens as the two took their seats. "Forgive thine humblest servant, oh God in thy highest of heavens, for I mean you no woes! I beg upon ye for thine forgiveness for this cruelest of worlds has given me yet another bag of poo!"

Mrs. Zeishun started class just as soon as Kohaku's daily outburst was over. She truly thought he had a serious problem with his outbursts and thought he had Turrets syndrome or something. Kagome leaned back on the back two legs of her chair, leaning against the wall to keep her balance.

Kohaku dazed out the window, but Kagome knew he was paying attention. He always did, though joking around with him during free time or work time in class was a common pastime.

"Today, class, we're starting a new unit." Mrs. Zeishun said, avoiding Kohaku's eyes as they swiveled away from the window and onto her figure. Kohaku and his 'Turrets syndrome' unnerved her.

"Oh, Mrs. Zeishun, I have to go to the bathroom!" A girl said frantically waving her hand in the air in the front of the room. Kagome was surprised to notice that it was Karei. She hadn't realized the girl was in this class.

Now that she did, she figured she should have known because the girl was so attached to Sesshoumaru that she'd probably only taken the class because he had. She was sitting at the table he was at, her chair dangerously close to his. So were a few other girls, trying to get as close to him as possible.

"Miss Taisei, you just had lunch!" Mrs. Zeishun said exasperatedly. She sighed and signed the anorexic girl's passbook. Immediately Karei took off. Kagome was thankful for stopping in the bathroom during fourth period.

She was, after all, still dealing with her little 'PP' and would be for the next five and half days or so. "Alright, now I'm assigning groups to these two person projects."

She picked up a baby basket, setting it on the desk in front of her. "I've already talked to Ms Saeko, and I know all about those of you who are –sadly- not going to be with us next week. So I have assigned you partners to match if you are on this field trip."

She explained everything about how to take care of the baby, explaining that it was an actual android, so it did eat and digest (Kagome couldn't figure out how, androids were supposed to be all metal and wires) so you had to feed it, pat its back when it was done eating, change its diaper (of which were washable diapers), and comfort it when it was crying.

"These are new," she explained, "last year did not have the benefit of these more advanced versions. It will record how you treat it, so you had best be careful."

Karei came back. Kagome wasn't aware that it took twenty minutes to go to the bathroom when it was literally just across the hall.

"It can 'die' if you let it sleep on its stomach, but it won't like sleeping in the crib. You and your partner will take care of these babies together, and note I did say together because it does record the fact that there are two of you or just one of you taking care of it, and you will care for it until the first of next month.

"I don't care if you have to sleep over at each other's house; you will take care of it together! These babies are very expensive, so be careful with it, though you don't have to worry about water, it can go in it. It will drown if you hold it underwater.

"The baby will grow over the week, changing in size, but the clothes are made so that they grow with the baby, though they too will need washing. Do not put the clothes or diaper in the washer!

"It must be hand washed. If you do well, your baby will grow into a toddler by Monday and depending on how intelligent, and cared for your baby is, you might get you a decent grade!"

Mrs. Zeishun picked up a list much like Ms Saeko had that morning. Kagome began pounding her head on the table. 'I won't be able to escape! I'll be stuck with either Ice Prince or Lightning Rod!' She grumbled in her mind. Both of the boys were in the room. Karei was clinging onto Sesshoumaru's arm as though she'd already been paired with him.

Mrs. Zeishun started naming off pairs. " Kohaku Ichiro and Kikyou Motshuria."

Kohaku grinned at Kagome, and then suddenly burst out before Mrs. Zeishun could continue, "Oh my beloved Kikyou!" He said, jumping across the two tables to capture Kikyou in a hug from behind. "Whilst you birthed my child, I shall stay by your side, forevermore! Need I commit my love to you further?"

And as an added surprise to even Kagome, he planted a kiss on the blushing elder girl's cheek and took her hand, leading her up to the many androids on the floor so they could choose one.

Silence ensued and everyone watched curiously to see which one they would take even though all of them were identical and genderless. Kohaku let her choose without his opinion on the matter and when she made one, he grabbed her and pulled her into a passionate embrace and told her how much he loved her decision while they took the android back to Kikyou's table.

Kagome raised an eyebrow at Kohaku's back. That was certainly strange of him to do... She couldn't help but wonder if in the strange depths of Kohaku's mind, some part of him had a crush on Kikyou. It was possible. He never really talked about who he liked in such ways, preferring to keep aloof in that section of the social command.

Kohaku was just an inch taller than Kikyou, like Souta was an inch taller than Kagome, and though he was younger, Kagome knew that Kohaku was far from stupid, as much as he made it seem like there was something very loose in his head.

Finally though, talk began quietly until Mrs. Zeishun began tapping her foot impatiently. Kagome went to dazing out the window. She figured that whoever was her partner, be it Sesshoumaru or Hiten, they would come to her with the android.

"Alright, then..." She erased something after seeing how Karei wouldn't listen to her and was too busy talking Sesshoumaru's ear off and wrote something else down. " Sesshoumaru Nokugami and Kagome Higurashi." Mrs. Zeishun said.

Kagome hadn't heard the announcement, so lost was she in her daze already, tipping back on the chair precariously on two legs.

Karei spluttered her outrage. "You can't do that!" She yelled, spittle flying from her mouth.

"I just did, Miss Taisei. I suggest you calm down. Hiten Dansuka is who you will be with! Now, Miss Higurashi, pay attention!"

Kagome lost her grip on her perch and the chair tipped over backwards, taking her with it. "Aw crap! What's with everything today?" She said angrily. "What do you want?"

"I chose your partner!" Mrs. Zeishun said exasperatedly. It was almost getting unbearable the way the students would ignore her. Once again, she thought about transferring to public. It would be less pay, but perhaps they would treat her better? "You are with Sesshoumaru Nokugami! Now choose your android!"

Kagome paled. Dang it, why can't anything go right! Why'd she have to give us this unit THIS WEEK? "Fine." She grumbled. She went up to look at the androids, grumbling all the while. Behind her she heard chatter and the furious flapping of Karei's jaw as she struggled for something to say.

"This one." She said, picking it up. She looked at Sesshoumaru and tilted her head towards her chair. He got up and walked back there with her, sitting in Kohaku's vacated chair as she righted her own. Kagome looked at the unresponsive android. It hadn't been turned on yet. It would be sometime before midnight though.

Mrs. Zeishun had explained that she would remote activate them sometime before midnight, which would be when they were 'born'. Kagome began bashing her head against the table. That was becoming a very familiar pastime for her recently. Okay, actually, she'd done it most of her life, but who could blame her?

But I'll get away from Naraku for a week! And he doesn't touch mama, so she's safe at least. Heh, I'd like to see Karei, Chrisa, and Maren last in those woods. They won't. None of them will last long under the guidance of Karei. I'm going to make her squirm tomorrow night with stories about those woods... The guys might be able to stomach them but...they're girls. I do know so many good ones! Kagome thought wickedly, still pounding her head.

"Ow..." Kagome muttered a moment later, resting her head against the smooth surface. Boy, now did she have a headache.

"WAAAA!" The baby in the seat screamed in front of Kagome. She was so startled that she accidentally tipped her chair over backwards, managing to somehow bash her head on the table, the wall, and the floor all in succession as she went down. How she hit the back of her head on the table was unknown though.

"Crap!" It was a good thing Mrs. Zeishun didn't believe in giving more than one detention to a person a day. Kagome would probably never be out of DT hall if Mrs. Zeishun believed in the ludicrous idea.

Bloodlike fluid showed sticky on the androids body, signifying he'd just been born. Whereas before, he'd been an 'it', with no apparent genitalia to signify gender, now the android had grown the necessary genitalia.

Kagome climbed to her feet, rushing to get a towel from the cabinet and taking the screaming baby over to the sink while the rest of her classmates laughed at her. Boy did she sometimes really hate being an outcast of society.

Sesshoumaru came over and helped her by turning the cold and the hot water on, so that the water would be perfect warm and got a pitcher out of one of the kitchen cupboards, filling it. Slowly they got the bloodlike fluid off the baby and they dressed the baby in the clothes, fitting the cloth diaper on.

After being wrapped in a blue baby blanket that Mrs. Zeishun brought them the android fell asleep. Kagome felt her blood boil when she realized that the other students were still laughing at her. Not at Sesshoumaru. They were sending piteous glances at him. But slowly after that, Mrs. Zeishun activated some of the other babies after they were all handed out.

Kagome sighed and carried the 'sleeping' android to her desk, where Kikyou and Kohaku were waiting, Kohaku with a large grin on his face. "Ah, my lovely banana blossom," he started, looking at Kagome.

"Kohaku, you wouldn't happen to have headache meds on you would you?" Kagome asked. Kohaku took out a small baggie from his pocket, retracting two pills from it. Kagome swallowed them dry, though it hurt to do so.

Kohaku cleared his throat, putting the baggie back in his pocket. "I'm afraid, my lovely clam, I have found another, and my love has been blessed with a pearl!" Kohaku exclaimed.

Sesshoumaru quirked an eyebrow at Kohaku who was staring at Kikyou with a poetic love in his eyes. "Clam?" He questioned.

Kikyou blushed. "Ichiro, if you don't mind my saying so, you are a twit." She said irritably.

"Ah, but 'twas as a twit that I fell for you, and so it shall remain that I shall stay a twit but not so much to radiate peace, for it is all for your joy that I am in love with you." He took her hand in his and lifted it to his mouth, kissing her knuckles.

Kagome snickered quietly, not wanting to wake the sleeping 'bundle of joy' in her arms. "Kohaku that made no sense at all!" She said. The bell rang, startling the sleeping babies awake. Some were lucky and didn't have 'born' androids yet. So much for being quiet.

Kohaku was one of those lucky ones. "So what, my sweet tasting chocolate cube, are you going to do with ye love child during band, my Hell's Bitch?" He snickered as her face flushed angrily.

"How the heck am I going to exact my revenge tonight?" She growled. "Now I'll most likely be taking care of the android because Ice Prince," she snapped the name off, "will just leave me to it!" Sesshoumaru had stayed behind in class, and Kagome couldn't help but wonder what for.

She learned moments later when she was getting out her violin and Sesshoumaru came in with a slip of paper and nodded towards Kagome when he was talking to the band director.

The band director scowled momentarily and then sighed. "You guys are my best strings!" He complained. "How will I go on!?"

The band room was bustling with people getting out their instruments, tuning them – the sound varying from bad to good depending on talent – and no one was paying any attention to Kagome while she tuned her violin, carefully and meticulously.

Much more of the raucous though, and she knew the baby would wake, immediately catching everyone's attention. Kohaku was in the band room and so were Sango, Souta, and Miroku, but each had their own respective instruments to get ready, so none of them were goofing off at the moment.

"Alright, fine fine!" The director said in a very sad tone. "Take Miss Higurashi and the android. My strings section is going to be utterly pathetic until the first of next month."

Sesshoumaru walked briskly over to Kagome, being sure his mask was in place. "We are not needed to stay." He told her, quickly picking up the baby car seat and carrying the android out of the band room.

Kagome sighed and rubbed her temples. Well, at least she would have a break from the noise of band for a day. She'd never had a hangover before, but was sure that this was what one felt like.

The blinding, excruciating pain behind her eyes slowly making its slow tread towards the back of her mind sending needles of pain to every inch of her body. She slowly got up, waved to her friends who gave her confused farewell waves (except for Kohaku of course; he was making a gushy starry eyed face and puckering his lips as though for a kiss, grinning at Kagome in which case when she saw this she flipped him the bird) as she walked out of the room.

The noise was not much less in the music hall, but it had minimized slightly. When the two went into a practice room together though, Kagome carrying her things – including her violin and music because she would have to practice this week, and the door shut behind them the music was gone almost immediately.

"Peace and quiet! Ahh, just what you need after an agonizingly tediously long day..." Kagome said her voice bitter as she slid down the back of the door until she was sitting on the ground.

"Why are the child's eyes flashing like they are?" Sesshoumaru asked moments later. He was kneeling on the ground in front of the android that was rapidly changing from one thing to another, yet still somehow staying as it was.

Kagome crawled over to him and looked at it. "The android is trying to figure out what genes to use." She told him. "Mrs. Zeishun said that when we clean the blood from it, it recognizes us as the parents, which was why both 'parents' were crucial at this point in bathing the android. It memorizes our traits from the simple touch and takes shape within the next few hours."

Kagome leaned her head against his shoulder, not caring that he was the Ice Prince at the moment. Her head was pounding and she needed refuge from it. "God, the rest of this month is going to be the worst time of my life." She muttered absently. "Both the best time, and the worst time. I couldn't have gotten worse pairings for these stupid projects. I think the teachers really are out to get me."

Sesshoumaru looked curiously, nervously, down at her black haired head. She was a curious girl. Why was it that his heart nearly stopped when Mrs. Zeishun said they would be paired together?

He couldn't even fathom what about her affected him like it did. And when Ms Saeko had announced this morning that he would be spending a week with Kagome... well, he'd actually wanted to jump up screaming how the world was in his favor this week until composure of course got the better of him.

So he'd just sat down... and then his least favorite 'fans' hounded him. It was a disgusting display the way they fingered his hair... okay, the way they touched him period! He really wanted to slaughter them then, but couldn't.

"Want to do me a favor?" He heard Kagome mutter. "I'll do anything for you if you do one thing for me..."

His curiosity was perked. What could possibly be so important? "Depends on what it is." He told her, trying to keep his voice calm and even, not squeaky and nervous like he knew it wanted to be.

"Scratch my nose... I'm too lazy to do it myself."

Sesshoumaru paused with an 'Eh' look on his face, or a 'What the heck' look in other words. "Um..."

Kagome was laughing. He could feel it, and he could hear the alto rumbling that her voice box made, though it was very faint. "I'm kidding." She said. "It appears that the android's settled on an appearance." Kagome pointed out. Her head was spinning so bad just then that she felt like vomiting. "I'll be right back..." She mumbled, standing and walking –somehow- over to the door, exiting towards the music room bathrooms.

She walked into the girls' bathroom, it really was nothing special with its white tile floor, white stone walls, and a large mirror covering one wall, a shelf to set your books at the entrance, then a line of pristine white sinks in the large part of the bathroom and a line of pea green stall doors on the other side of the sinks.

There were the necessary things in the bathroom: generic Tampad dispenser, hand blow dryer, and napkin dispenser. Of course, the smell of the bathroom was disgusting. It wasn't the smell of Port potties, or waste, it was the smell of cigarette smoke. Kagome hated it.

Obviously some of the girls had been smoking in the bathroom during the seven minute between class periods. She went into the first stall, locking it and kneeling in front of the toilet.

She never had to worry about the toilets in school not being flushed because they were auto flushed. The toilet motion detector was too high to see that she was kneeling there, but if she stood it would flush.

Moments after trying to gulp back the feeling that she had to vomit, she did. It burned her throat as the bile came surging out of her mouth to splash into the toilet. She felt tears press against her eyes when she was lacking air and they trickled down her cheeks to land haphazardly on the toilet seat.

Ten minutes after losing her very meager lunch and dry heaving until her voice became hoarse, she stood, the toilet flushing. She grimaced as she saw some of her vomit had dripped onto the seat and wiped it off with toilet paper, then waved for the motion detector to flush again.

She left the stall and rinsed her mouth out, hating the vile taste, and then washed her face and rinsed her hair in the wide shallow handicap sink so she had the nice cool wet feel on her person. Her face was pale, and her eyes were tired. She'd not slept much the previous night, obviously, since she'd not gotten back until after five from walking home.

But at least, though her mouth and esophagus were burning, her headache was starting to recede as the Tylenol began to run its course. Sluggishly, she made her way back to the practice rooms to find Sesshoumaru playing the piano. He was quite good, actually, but she had thought he was a violin player. Obviously, though, he could play multiple instruments.

Sesshoumaru heard her enter, and could smell that it was her. He frowned though when he caught the scent of cigarette smoke on her. Does she smoke? He wondered. But he didn't mention it. He just kept playing the song he'd composed, yet not yet named.

Kagome looked at the android sleeping contentedly in the car seat, walking over to peer at it. "It seems to have taken a liking to your genes..." Kagome said, her voice slightly, noticeably raspy from all the abuse her throat had just taken.

The android had grown a bit of black and silver fuzz on his head so when it grew out it would be black hair streaked silver, and he'd chosen the deep midnight blue eyes that were Kagome's.

His eyes however were more angled like Sesshoumaru's and he had Sesshoumaru's sharp defined facial features, but Kagome's soft pink lips. He had tiny claws instead of nails and Kagome saw that his ears were pointed elfishly.

Sesshoumaru stopped and turned on the piano bench towards Kagome. "I don't have claws." He said quietly, wishing it to be true. The witch's charm that he had made his claws look like regular nails but they were still there.

"No point in lying to me." She told him, her voice slowly gaining its strength back with each passing moment. She sat on the floor, leaning against the wall, one leg straight from her body, the other jutting up in the air. She casually rested an arm on her leg. "I already know."

Sesshoumaru held tight to his stony mask. He wouldn't let it fail him now. He couldn't let it fail him now. Not in front of her. But yes, he was very surprised. He knew what she was talking about, and it was apparent by the look in her eyes as she watched him that she knew he knew.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He lied, purposefully turning back to the piano.

"My rear you don't," she said, grinning.

He began to play, ignoring her as best he could.

"Well, whether or not you admit it is not really my concern, but you should learn to like it." She said, watching the side of his face closely, yet hating the way he so easily ignored her. It was like she was scum, not worthy of his presence.

She continued, "There's nothing wrong with what you are." She told him, smirking as she watched his icy mask almost slip and his fingers mess up in their movements.

He said nothing, and the baby woke up crying. "WAAA!" he screamed.

Kagome diverted her attention to the baby. "You know, we weren't supposed to have this unit until next semester." She grumbled, scooping the baby into her arms and searching in the diaper bag for the first bottle of milk. "Where's the milk bottle!" She asked, panicked. Her panic only made the baby cry louder.

Sesshoumaru turned to her, getting off the bench to kneel on the floor and search the bag's many pockets. "There is no bottle." He said in as calm a voice as he could. He didn't want to panic too. He had to keep a level head. "I'll go to Mrs. Zeishun's room and get the baby bottles." He said and moved quickly out of the room. Once he was in the hall he broke into a run.

Mrs. Zeishun apologized for not packing the bottles and gave him the bottles, baby milk mix, and instructions for making a bottle and he quickly made one and ran with the things back to the practice room. Once he got there, he handed Kagome the bottle and she coaxed the android into drinking while he reorganized the bag.

Once the android was peacefully drinking, Kagome began to laugh quietly. "Well, this week is sure to be a very interesting one, however horrid." She muttered under her breath. "Bad for me, but promising for you since you'll get to spend a week with Karei, Chrisa, and Maren."

Sesshoumaru frowned, but she didn't see it, or if she did she didn't care. He really didn't want to spend a week with those three girls. Just spending eight hours a day with Karei the stalker was enough. She was like a leech; she clung on to you and sucked your life dry of excitement.

Though he wasn't sure how things would turn out with Kagome added to the group. He knew Karei and the other two had something very against Kagome. And she didn't seem to like them much either.

"So what are you gonna name him?" Kagome asked him suddenly after a long period of silence.

Sesshoumaru shifted nervously in his spot. "Why do I have to give it a name?"

"Well, you are the rich boy, so I figured you'd whine and moan until I let you name him anyway." Kagome said matter-of-factly.

Sesshoumaru glared at Kagome, and this time he knew she saw it. She was getting angry at the look he was giving her. "I'm not like that." He said finally, spitting the words out as though they were poison in his mouth.

Kagome had just been about to yell at him about the stony look he was giving her until he said that. Her eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "All you rich people are like that!" She said with just as much venom as he, but also as quiet as he had kept his voice. Neither wanted the sleeping android to wake.

"You all throw around the fact that you're rich, slapping people in the face with wads of thousands rather than a glove! I only know of one family that isn't like you are who is rich, and that's the Ichiro's."

Sesshoumaru didn't know what made him lose his stony mask, but he knew that a look of anger and frustration came over his face as he argued with her. Normally he didn't argue either, preferring to just stay silent and watch the other person make a fool out of him or herself. "I don't throw around any money!"

"Right, sure you don't." Kagome hissed. "Just like you don't have half the school throwing themselves to you, willing to screw you!" She put the baby securely in the seat, covering him with the blanket.

"Do you think I actually like that attention? It's ludicrous! It's a hideous display of female hormones in action, and it's enough to make me go insane!"

"Ha! Right! You go insane? I think you got that wrong, Ice Prince. You went insane a long time ago! All that money went to your head and convinced you that you're better than everyone; well here's a reality check! You're not!"

"Well at least I'm better than you!" He hissed. He regretted his words immediately as her eyes narrowed in severe anger.

"That's right." She sneered, her voice filled with sarcasm to a point of near overflow. "But for a rich boy with absolutely no problems in comparison to a lowly poor outcast of society, I'm sure that must be an easy feat to accomplish!" She grabbed her things and left the room, leaving the baby with him. Let him deal with the baby. He needs to come back to earth anyway, and this should humble him.

"Dang it!" He muttered. He really needed to get a grip on himself. He couldn't understand why she affected him so badly. She made him something that he'd never wanted to be.

Or maybe she made him what he wanted to be; he just couldn't admit it. Seconds after she'd stormed out, the bell for seventh period rang. He quickly got his things together, shoving them in his backpack before grabbing the baby and its diaper bag, leaving the room.

He wondered what he was going to do during Chemistry. They were working lab that day, so he wondered how he was going to go about taking care of the baby. He sighed. Starting Tuesday night, life had changed for the worse. It all started with Inuyasha finding his journal and reading it.

"My pigeon toed beauty!" Kohaku shouted as Kagome entered the Language room. "Desolate was I without your love to grant me salvation during the slow steady moments of band class!" Kohaku surged forward, pulling Kagome into his lap from where their group sat on the couch in the Language room.

Seats in the Language room were first come first serve always, and most of them were comfortable. Kagome's group always sat on the large couch, but with Rin added to the group, there wasn't enough room on the couch. All five of Kagome's friends were in this class with her.

Kagome laughed at Kohaku. "Aren't you in a mood today, Trip? First you kiss Kikyou and act as though you're her boyfriend, and then you do this? I wasn't aware you liked me so much!"

She made to get off his lap, but he grabbed her around the waist, holding her there. "My love, don't leave me!" He fake-sobbed. "Thy actions will cause a rift in mine heart that shall forever be open!"

Kagome laughed again and pulled out of his grip, sitting on the floor next to the couch. As usual, the rest of the class ignored them and the teacher was sitting at his desk but was asleep. Since Mr. Thomas was a heavy sleeper, not even the fire alarm would wake him.

Everyone knew because it had once gone off and the students had had to carry him out of the room. But still, he was Kagome's favorite teacher when he was awake. It was just that sometimes he fell asleep.

"Trip, you kissed Kikyou!" Souta hollered gleefully. "Trip and Kikyou sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Souta said in a singsong voice.

Kohaku made like he was starry eyed as he imagined Kikyou. "Ah, beloved Kikyou, thy eyes sparkle with the moonlight, dancing gleefully with ye chocolate colors. Ye lips are as soft as the petals of the beautiful red Rose, and with as much color as the healthiest Rose blossom... Ye skin as we dance the...OW!"

Sango, who was next to Kohaku on the couch, had smacked the back of the poet's head. "I've heard enough, and the poor girl doesn't need rumors to be spread about her!"

Miroku groped Sango. "Ah, your rear is as lovely to the touch as it is on the eyes." He said right before Sango knocked him off the couch.

Kagome took the vacated seat, using Miroku's back as a footstool. "Ahh, this is the life." She said with a grin. "So how are things going for you, Chicky?"

"Great! This school is very fun and interesting."

"My Kikyou! She is all alone with our love child for these three cruel agonizingly dragging hours!"

"But the baby hasn't woken yet." Rin said who'd just had choir with Kikyou.

Kohaku ignored the comment and continued, "I pray she forgives me! I shall prance to her the instant I have showered after Gym and shower her beauty with my love!"

"Do get dressed first, won't you?" Miroku said. "Some of us would prefer if only the female race walked these sacred halls bare-butt."

The group laughed, and even Rin joined in. Miroku sounded so serious that somehow hilarity in it had been found. Soon, Mr. Thomas woke and started the lesson, which was as usual, just a single worksheet.

Gym class was tedious. Kagome had Gym with Kohaku and Sango and for some reason it seemed the gods had to be evil to Kagome and Sesshoumaru because they were in Gym together, and they had the baby to contend to.

Because of the noise in the Gym, the baby kept waking up, so either Kagome or Sesshoumaru were over there, comforting it back to sleep only to have him wake five minutes later. Kohaku's baby had not woken yet, so Kikyou was having no trouble caring for it while in History class.

Once Gym was over, Kagome sighed a relief and went to shower, taking the baby with her. Soon as she got out of the showers (which were all separated with walls and fog-glass doors) she found the baby needed changing. She dressed as quickly as she could back in her normal clothes, shoving her gym outfit in her gym locker before carefully changing the baby.

One can only be thankful for mama and her insisting that I took those babysitting classes last summer... She thought. How the heck does an android digest? Or eat for that matter? She wondered. Truly technology is an amazing thing.

"'Gome, you ready?" Sango asked, popping up behind the girl as she finished changing the baby's diaper. "We were gonna go to Medallion's park and wait for him to show up so we could get your jewelry back."

"Okay, hang on though. I want to go to Ms Saeko and see if it is all right for me and Souta to just wait at home. Wanna come with me?"

Kagome put the baby in the car seat again, taking the dirty diaper to the sink and washing it though she wasn't happy to do so. As soon as that was done, she wrung the cloth out as best she could and then stuffed it in the diaper bag.

"Sure. You wanna come with us to the park then?"

"Of course I do! But before we do that, we'll have to find Ice Prince. I can't have Medallion breaking the baby. Who knows how many thousands one of these things costs?"

Sango laughed. "Well, Rin caught the bus, and Souta went to the payphones with Miroku so that he could call in sick."

"What about Kohaku?" Kagome asked, shouldering her backpack and picking up the baby. Sango picked up the diaper bag for Kagome. "Stole my car to give his 'Lady Kikyou' a ride home."

Kagome laughed. "I was so shocked when he all of a sudden kissed her! It was really hilarious to watch actually, and really cute. And you know, for a prep she doesn't seem all that bad." They had reached Ms Saeko's room, so they entered. "Ms Saeko?" Kagome asked, looking around for the teacher.

Ms Saeko came from the back room. "Yes, Miss Higurashi?" She asked pleasantly. "May I help you?"

"Yah, I was wondering if my brother and I could just wait at the shrine tomorrow morning, since it would be a waste of gas to drive to school just to go back home again."

Ms Saeko grinned. "Of course. But only on one condition."

"That is?"

"You draw maps for all of the groups, of course! Of the whole garden, including some good paths through that forest. Agreed?"

Kagome smirked. Well, that task was done. Souta and she had long ago mapped the entire garden on his computer, so they'd just have to print them off. "How many maps do you need?"

"Oh, thirty or so. There are some groups from Sunset Public doing this as well."

Kagome frowned. "You do know that I, as one of the Shrine Keepers, will file a lawsuit against you and the school if anything happens to my garden, correct?"

Ms Saeko smiled a very serious smile. "I'm well aware. Your mother explained this much. Now you can go ahead home, or wherever you are to go. Tomorrow I'll collect your and your brother's permission slips from you when we arrive at the shrine, and further explain the adventure."

"Okay, thanks Ms Saeko!" Kagome said, waving a goodbye. She had a feeling that she would both love and hate her new cousin very dearly, which was a strange conjunction.

The two girls picked up their previous conversation in the hallway. Sango nodded her agreement to their previous subject at hand. "No, she doesn't. Actually, I did some snooping around and there's something interesting about her. She disliked widely amongst the school.

"Truth to tell, I hadn't noticed her before today, but I guess she did something to Karei on accident, so Karei hates her, and if Karei hates her then so does the rest of the school. She seems to have absolutely no friends."

Kagome frowned. "We might be outcasts, but at least we have friends. I don't like that Karei won't let her have friends. The stupid slut thinks she owns this school!"

"She practically does." Sango pointed out. "If she gives the word, then everyone goes against you, and KABOOM your life is a living hell. Karei has her marked."

"She does? Wow... what did Kikyou do?"

"I haven't found that out yet...But she's survived being marked since age thirteen."

"She's nineteen now, isn't she?"

"Yep. She's survived a long time. Surprising thing is, you haven't been marked. Karei hates you more than anyone."

"I know..." The two had reached the parking lot where Souta and Miroku were waiting by Kagome and Souta's car. "We should invite her to our table at lunch sometime." Kagome looked around the parking lot for Sesshoumaru's car. It was gone. "Aw shit! What a fuckin' crappy day." She muttered. "Ice Prince is already gone."

Sango sighed. "We can still go you know." She said. "It's weird seeing you without your bells."

"It's weird feeling or seeing myself without my bells."

They reached the car and with help, the car seat was put in securely and the baby buckled in. "So are we for the park or not?"

"No." Kagome said with a sigh. "I can't afford the baby to get broken."

"Sweet love of god, Trip, what are you still doing here?" Souta hollered as Kohaku and Kikyou came out of the school.

"Beloved and I return to you, unscathed by the scorn of the arrival of our sweet love child!" Kohaku said as they stopped by the others.

Kikyou turned about three completely different shades of red. "Um..."

Kagome laughed. "Don't worry." She told Kikyou. "He does the same to me as he's doing to you."

"Yeah, just smack him upside the head if he starts to annoy you. It's what the rest of us do." Sango added.

"Oh hey! I have an idea!" Miroku said. "Kikyou, Kohaku, would you baby-sit Kagome's android for a few hours?"

"My raspberry sherbet, of course thy request is accepted freely!" Kohaku said, embracing Kagome and planting a kiss on her forehead.

Kagome laughed, shoving him from her and looking at Kikyou. "Would you, please? I've got some things to take care of and my partner decided to take off."

"Of course." Kikyou said with a small smile. "I would be obliged to."

"Thanks, I owe you one!" Kagome said gratefully as she went into her car and unbuckled the android. "It'll only be about an hour or two. Kohaku knows my cell phone number if you need me."

Kohaku took Kagome's baby and baby diaper bag. "Fear not!" Kohaku began, but Sango smacked the back of his head. "Ow!"

"Try to act normal for once, idiot!" She grumbled. "See you at home, and don't you be inappropriate!"

"My kin fear not, for I shall not fail you! I shall try my very best!"

As Kohaku and Kikyou went towards Sango's car, Miroku and Souta climbed into the back seat and Sango sat in the front passenger, with Kagome driving. They put their backpacks in the trunk. Kagome took her keys from where she kept them in the glove compartment and was off.

"Good, now that's one less worry." She said. She turned the stereo on as talk varied for the few moments in the car. She parked at Medallion's, ignoring the fact that she'd double-parked in the parking lot. The four got out, and Kagome grinned. "Ready for a nice fight?"

The other three returned her malicious grin with ones of their own. "Of course, 'Gome. I'm always ready to beat the shit out of people! Especially when those people include Medallion and his peeps." Souta said.

"Ah, my chance to grope Sango!" Miroku said and did just that.

Sango slapped him hard enough to get him to think otherwise but not to knock him out. "Miroku, knock it off."

Kagome laughed, walking towards the center of the park. The others followed her. This would be a very interesting fight that was for sure.


	4. Fourth Chapter

"This looks like a fair enough spot to wait." Kagome said, leaning against the picnic bench near the playground equipment. She looked at Sango, grinning at her. The girl was going to fight in a tube top. That was kind of a hilarious idea. Kagome noticed the silver charm bracelet on Sango's wrist with the singular charm shaped like a heart. "Who'd you get that from?" She asked, pointing to it.

Sango blushed but didn't answer, her eyes glancing at Miroku who was playing on the playground equipment with Souta.

"Ah. I see." Kagome said, grinning from ear to ear. "You know, I think you should just tell him how you feel."

"I did..." Sango said quietly, looking down. "But I didn't let him hear."

Kagome sighed, shaking her head. "Thief, you're being very stupid. He really likes you."

"Kind of hard to tell, ya know?" She sat heavily on the picnic bench. Miroku was shimmying up the slide backwards, calling out to Souta who was walking on top of the monkey bars.

"I know it is." Kagome said with a sigh. "Be patient, you know he likes you if he saved up to buy that." Kagome told her. "You know, you wouldn't have this problem if you were to let him grope you."

Sango's face flushed. "How indecent!" She scoffed. Kagome laughed as her friend stalked over to the play equipment, leaving Kagome to lean against the edge of the picnic table.

Kagome smirked, crossing her arms across her chest defiantly when she saw Medallion enter the park with about eight or nine other people, male and female. The females were dressed rather scantily; the males were wearing black and a lot of it.

One wore a black trench coat and the girl he was hanging on to was wearing Kagome's bells, but she noticed the girl wasn't his sister. His sister was only seven she knew, and this girl was clearly at least ten years older than that.

She glanced over to where her friends were, noticing they hadn't noticed Medallion yet. They were playing Paper, Rock, Scissors behind the rock climbing wall so Medallion wouldn't have seen them yet either. She turned her attention back to Medallion as the twenty year old noticed Kagome, a sinister smile splaying across his beautiful face to show pristine white straight teeth.

He had perfectly unblemished tan skin, aside from the clipped black and blue bruise on his jaw that Kagome had given him the night before. His lips were a perfect pink and his brown eyes glowed with both hate and admiration as he appraised Kagome. He was about five feet eleven inches tall and slicked back his short black hair.

He said something to his friends and they laughed, all of them walking over to be just a short fifteen feet away from Kagome's perch. "Ahh, Hell's Bitch... So, you've come to play, all alone?" He sneered. Kagome thought he might be really good looking if he weren't sneering all the time.

But he did have an unnatural light to him, and no it wasn't a dark aura or any weird crap like that. He had a smile that could melt any heart. Any heart except Kagome's that is. That was why he hated her. Because he couldn't have her. But even though he was always sneering, he had a sort of unrealistic good look about him.

"No." Kagome said, chuckling. "Today I decided to bring a few of my friends." She brought her thumb and middle finger to her mouth, folding her tongue around them and letting out an ear splitting whistle. Her friends looked over and noticed Medallion, then walked over. "Now, if you hand me my bells, I might go easy on you."

Medallion smirked at her. "Too bad you're outnumbered two to one." He said.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "There's where you mess up, Medallion." She said calmly, looking at her fingernails that were painted a shocking blood red. She hadn't had time to change the color to silver to match her outfit. "You underestimate me and my friends."

"I didn't underestimate you this morning, though, did I?" He sneered.

"Oh, Medallion..." The girl wearing Kagome's bells said, staring starry eyed up at him. "Won't you get her out of here? She's bothering me!"

Kagome laughed. "Who's the slut, Medallion?"

"None of your concern!"

"Oh gee, sorry for imposing." She said, though she wasn't very sorry at all. She'd always thought it was strange that Medallion never denied the woman being a slut. "So, are you going to give my bells back, or do I have to take them from you?"

"Medallion, hun, she's going to take my jewelry!" The girl squawked. Her voice was a gratingly high soprano, high enough to shatter glass. She clung to Medallion's arm, pressing her large, practically uncovered bosom up against his chest.

Kagome sighed and shook her head almost sadly. Her midnight blue eyes were laced with amusement to contradict her actions, though, which sent shivers through Medallion's body in places he knew he shouldn't feel for her.

She was his enemy, his foe. He knew that he would never have her no matter how much he'd fallen for her. "Medallion..." she said in her alto voice, a melody in each syllable, "I'm going to have my bells back...And I'm going to have them back now..."

"Fuck off!" The girl shrieked. "These are my bells now!"

"Suit yourself." Kagome looked at her friends, they nodded. All were thinking the same thing: Fight time.

Souta grinned. "Too bad Trip's not here!" He said with a grin. "He would have enjoyed this!"

Miroku laughed. "Trip'll probably cry when he finds out what we've been doing!"

Sango smacked Miroku and Souta both upside the head. "Would you two please shut up? I, for one, don't want to spend my entire night waiting to start this fight! I have to get ready for tomorrow's field trip!"

"Right." Souta said, but the grin stayed.

"Sorry, my dove!"

Sango slapped Miroku again. "How many times must I,"

Kagome groaned, slapping her forehead. "I'm cursed with you guys!"

Medallion broke into laughter, wiping tears from his eyes, and his followers soon followed him into laughter, though they didn't know what they were laughing at. "Ah, Hell's Bitch, you are too humorous! First, you intend to fight me outnumbered, and then you cower behind an argument amongst yourselves?"

That angered all four of the friends. "Hey! Who's the coward here?" Souta yelled. "You attack a single person in a dark alley with ten people and then mug them! I'll kill you for doing that to my sister."

"I'm not too worried about it." Medallion said nonchalantly.

The next thing that happened was Souta rushed at Medallion, shoving the girl with Kagome's jewelry to the ground and connecting his fist with Medallions nose. Kagome, Sango, and Miroku followed his lead, Kagome went for the slut who was dirtying her jewelry, and Sango and Miroku went for a few stragglers.

After a few slow seconds, Medallion regained his composure and threw his fist at Souta. Souta skipped to the side, then lifted his leg back, smashing it forward into Medallion. Medallion fell to the ground and his followers began to realize what was happening.

Miroku and Sango were easily handling five of the goons themselves, Kagome was struggling in a fight with the girl wearing her bells. It was a wonder how the girl was able to fight in stiletto high heels. The only sounds heard were grunts or hits or kicks.

Moments into the fight, Souta had Medallion pinned to the ground with his thumbs pressing painfully on Medallion's eyeballs. Miroku and Sango were being held by four of the goons each, and Kagome had the girl who wore her bells in a chokehold.

"Bells, now!" Kagome shouted.

"Alright, alright!" The girl said in a panicky frightened voice. "You can have them!"

Kagome let the girl go and she fell to the ground, coughing for air. Seconds later she started taking off the jewelry and Kagome soon had all her missing jewelry in her hands.

Souta pressed harder on Medallion's eyes and Medallion gave a pained cry, trying to get out of Souta's surprisingly strong grasp. "Medallion, get your friends to let go of mine, or else." He said in an angry voice.

"Beat them to within an inch of their lives!" Medallion shrieked, maneuvering himself so that his knee would ram into Souta's unhappy place and then doing such.

Souta groaned, rolling off of Medallion. "Oooh..."

Kagome grabbed the girl who clung to Medallion by the hair with her free hand in a tight grasp. "Medallion," she started, but was unable to finish. Blaring sirens were heard and flashing lights were seen as the police came rushing down the street towards the park.

The two gangs of people split immediately, Kagome and Sango helping Souta to get up while Miroku put Kagome's jewelry in his excessively gigantic pockets.

"Damn... I'm gonna feel that for a week..." Souta complained as they got into the car. Sango sat in the back with Souta and Kagome drove with Miroku in the front.

"Ice it when we get home." Kagome told him. She drove to the Shrine, parking in her place in the large three-car garage. Naraku's car was gone. Her mother's car was gone.

"Where's your mom?" Sango asked.

Kagome shrugged. "Probably grocery shopping or something. I don't know. Come on."

Souta had recovered enough so he could walk on his own, but he was walking like he'd pissed his pants, which made the others laugh. "Shut up!" Shouted Souta. "I'd like to see you walk with a sore nut sack!" He yelled, storming up the stairs.

The others followed, keeping their laughter to a minimum as they went to the first floor bathroom to was the wounds they'd not realized they had until they got into the car. Seconds after they'd finished in the bathroom and were walking by the basement door, they heard the garage door open, signifying Kali's coming home.

Kagome looked at the clock. It read four fifty eight pm. "Aw shit!" She swore. "It's been two hours since we left school and Kohaku and Kikyou still have my android!" She took her cell phone from its holster on her hip, having put it on when they'd got home. She'd taken it off for the fight.

She went into her mother's office, going in her desk for a phone book to find Kikyou's number. Her friends all followed her in. "Okay, guys. Which do you think it is? Motshuria, Gytha; Motshuria, Sora and Petoni; or Motshuria, Cit?"

"Try them all?" Miroku suggested, looking over her shoulder, placing a hand on her shoulder to slide it ever so innocently down towards her chest.

"Don't even, Miroku!" Kagome warned. He did anyway, and Kagome grabbed his hand, twisting it painfully. "I said don't!" She let go of Miroku, whose eyes were glinting happily. "Which one do you think I should try first? All of them live here in Sunset..."

Sango said, "Well, she rides the bus, so try the one furthest from the school."

"Okay, that'd be Motshuria, Gytha." She read the number a few times, committing it to memory, and then dialed.

"Motshuria residence, Kaede speaking, how may I help you?" A young female voice said.

"Yes, hi, I'm Kagome Higurashi, and I was wondering if by any chance Kikyou Motshuria lives there?"

"KIKYOU! Phone call!" The female voice screamed. "Kikyou! What are you doing up there with him! For god's sake, Kikyou, you just met him today practically!"

Kagome stifled laughter and her friends looked at her curiously.

"KI"

Another voice took over, still female, but much more elderly sounding. "Kaede, do not shout."

"Sorry, Grandma. But Kikyou is up there making out with her new boyfriend and,"

"Excuse me? I'm doing WHAT?" That voice sounded like Kikyou.

"Making out with your boyfriend! Did I not say it loud enough for you?"

"He's not my boyfriend, you brat! We were assigned to a project, and it isn't easy taking care of a baby!"

"Um.. Can I speak with Kikyou?" Kagome tried to get a word in edgewise, but it appeared no one was listening.

"Well, if you weren't such a slut, you wouldn't have a baby to take care of!"

"How could you listen to Taisei?" Kikyou sounded hurt. "You would believe her over your sister? After all I do for you? You know those rumors aren't true!"

"Both of you calm down!" A stern voice said, sounding like the elderly woman from earlier in the conversation. "I will have you apologize to each other and separate yourselves from each other's company, this instant!"

"Oh, sorry!" Kaede didn't sound at all sorry. "You have a phone call, Kikyou."

"Hello?" Kikyou said into the receiver seconds later.

"Hi Kikyou, this is Kagome Higurashi, is Kohaku there?"

"Yes, one moment"

"No, no, you don't have to get him. Can you just tell him to bring the android to my house?"

"Of course. Was that it?"

Kagome sighed and nodded. "Yes, thank you for this. Whenever you need something, you can tell me and I'll do my best to help you out, okay?"

"Thank you, and yes, I'll keep that in mind. I'll have Ichiro bring the android right over."

"Thanks, bye."

"Good bye. Have a good evening."

"You too." The two hung up, and Kagome sat back in her mother's desk chair. "Well, Kohaku'll be over soon. But wanna know something interesting?"

"What?" Sango asked.

"Kikyou's sister, Kaede, believes Karei's rumors about Kikyou."

"Oooh, ouch." Miroku said. "That must be harsh. Karei was merciless on Kikyou when she marked her."

Sango looked at Miroku. "You know what happened?"

"Of course I do!" Miroku sighed. "It's not a very pretty story either. At age thirteen, Kikyou was an emotional wreck. She was constantly looking over her shoulder when she moved here to Sunset, don't know why but she was, and so when she was coming out of the lunch line with her lunch tray one day, Karei went to talk to her, tapping her on the shoulder.

"She must have startled Kikyou because Kikyou turned around looking petrified and her tray ended up all over Karei. It was rice and gravy that day..."

"Oh damn!" Souta muttered. "'Gome, you've done worse to Karei, how come you're not marked?"

"No clue." Kagome said quietly.

Soon Kohaku arrived to pick up Sango and drop off the android. "My snuggle shampoo," Kohaku said upon arrival, handing Kagome the android and diaper bag. "Mine heart belongs to another now," He said. "I have fallen," At that moment, when he was about to grab Kagome into a hug, he tripped on the first step into the house, forgetting that it was there. Kagome laughed.

"Literally!"

Sango pulled Kohaku up, rolling her eyes. "So who's gonna take care of your android, Trip?"

"My love child and I are alone this weary gloomy eve, without the heat of my sweet Kikyou body to comfort us... I am desolate already..." Kohaku actually looked depressed for a millisecond before that disappeared and a smile appeared on his face. "I shall see thy beauty once more tomorrow, my love! If only ye did not have to work!"

"Speaking of work, what are you two doing?" Kali said from behind the group.

Kagome groaned. "Sorry mama. I had some things to take care of because the jerk who I was partnered with couldn't care less about a grade since he could buy one." It was a very vague half-truth.

"And what is your excuse?" She said, looking at Souta with a stern look.

"I was with 'Gome." He said simply.

"Well, now you're back, so get to work. Today you've got a new list of things to do that I made up for you. You'll find it on the fridge."

"Okay, Okay, we get it." They said in unison, startling each other.

Kali left to go to her office and Miroku took Kagome's jewelry out of his pocket, handing it to Kagome. "Thanks, Perv." Kagome said. Seconds after she'd said that, Sango grabbed Miroku's arm, dragging him out of the shrine.

"Welcome!" Miroku called back.

Kagome sighed as the android started to cry. Souta had taken off to go read the note and she was left in the hall. Slowly she made her way to the third floor, dragging her feet. 'Let the dumb thing cry for a few moments. I don't care.'

When she got to her room, she set the android on the floor, moving over to the window behind the futon, opening it to let the cool autumn breeze in. "I hate that stupid rich boy!" She grumbled. Moments later she went to find out what the baby wanted, then after an hour of holding it, it fell asleep so she put it back the car seat so it could sleep and then changed for work, taking the baby with her as she started to help Souta with the list of chores.

All they were doing was getting things ready for the next day. She remembered she had to print out the maps yet that evening. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Sesshoumaru sighed. He sat in his new room, trying to ignore the fact that his stepmother was drunk and calling through his locked bedroom door for him and Inuyasha. Inuyasha was sitting next to him on the pricey black leather couch and the two were playing a racing game on their game console taking turns.

If you died, or got busted, it was the other person's turn. Right then it was Inuyasha's turn, but he was obviously having trouble concentrating on the game with Nekura (their mother) trying to get in and telling them everything she would do to them for being bad boys.

"What'll we do about our permission slips? Dad's on a business trip and his note said he wouldn't be back until the fifth..." Inuyasha said as he died, handing the paddle to Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru sighed. "We wait. She'll probably pass out around midnight, which would give her seven hours to sober up, and I'll go to her with our permission slips to sign..."

Inuyasha leaned back against the couch, growling angrily. "Why does she treat us like that?" He asked his eyes with both haunted and furious lights. He reached underneath the back of the school uniform shirt to scratch his back.

Sesshoumaru knew Inuyasha did not mean their mother. He meant Kagome. Since Wednesday, their conversations seemed to roam back to the mysterious outcast often. "I don't know." Sesshoumaru said as he felt his heart clench at the thought of Kagome.

He knew hardly anything about her, yet he'd gone to the same school with her since he was twelve and she eleven. He'd crushed on her immediately, the first time he saw her.

She was shorter then, of course. She'd been abnormally small for her age, just three feet seven inches, but she was a fighter and a strong one at that.

His very first day of school, he and Inuyasha had entered the school grounds by way of the limo their father favored to send them in. By this time, Sesshoumaru had already perfected his expressionless mask, unwilling to let anyone know how he felt violated every night. He knew if he let people know that, they would pity him and he didn't want that.

His walk into the school courtyard with his brother by his side was a short-lived moment of gloom. He thought he and his brother would be shunned because of their abnormal looks, but it appeared as though they would not.

No, they found out soon that they were in for a life of finding out just how stupid most humans were. The females of the species swamped the two, clinging to any part of them they could. Sesshoumaru could see the look of sheer horror on his brother's face as the girls swamped them, but with what they'd been through for the past few years, the horror was reasonable.

He himself was able to control his expression, keeping it uncaring, but on the inside, he'd felt violated and disgusted.

Sesshoumaru grabbed his brother's upper arm and drug him out of the circle of lecherous females, but the girls followed, talking about how the two brothers were even more good looking than someone called Hiten Dansuka and plotting who would marry which of the brothers. As they grew up, those whispers became less of who would marry them and more of who would screw them first.

It was in his first class that he'd seen her. Inuyasha was in another class, but he'd been in Art class. It didn't seem like she'd had any friends and she wore something very against school protocol.

She wore an overly large black sweatshirt with a yellow smiley face on it and tight blue jeans, along with black tennis shoes. Her hair had been just a little past her shoulders, but she'd kept it up in a high ponytail all the time and she had deep blue eyes that had captivated him when she looked up from her sketchbook towards him.

She'd done that a lot that first week, constantly looking up at him, and each time she did, he felt himself falling harder and harder for her.

She wore no make up then, but she didn't need make up. What would an eleven year old do with make up anyway? Between ten and fourteen usually were the points of change in a person's life, though, and change she did.

But it was that first day, that first period that he'd been captivated and lost in her eyes, never to return. By the single glance she gave him, only to look back down again quickly and draw her sketches more. She'd glanced at him often in that period, and he'd been unable to stop himself from blushing each time she did.

As the years went by, he taught himself to not blush when she glanced at him, but she didn't look at him, she didn't spare him much attention after that first week.

On lunch the first day, he'd found out she had friends. Four of them; three male and one female. She sat with them, joked with them, laughed with them.

Sesshoumaru had sat with his brother at lunch while girls had swamped them, playing with their hair, fiddling with their school uniforms, and one girl even had had the audacity to lick Inuyasha's cheek to which he'd responded somewhat violently and shoved the girl off of him.

However, that had not deterred the girls and they just continued while Inuyasha's temper had risen. One of the girls, Karei Taisei, had latched violently to Sesshoumaru as though he were a lifeline.

The fifth day, he found out during Gym class, which at the time had been six hour, about her rivalry with Karei. Karei went to no end to point out about one of Kagome's friend's misfortune.

"Ah, look at the poor baby!" Karei shouted to all her friends. "Shishuni is so poor he can't even buy his own lunch tickets! He has to borrow from the Ichiro's!" She said as she stalked up to Kagome and her friends.

"Shut up, Karei!" Kagome had yelled. "Leave Miroku alone! He never did anything to you!" Her blue eyes had flashed angrily. "You want to fight; I'll give you something, but leave Miroku alone!"

Karei had laughed at Kagome as though Kagome were a child and knew no better. "Of course he did! He was born! Poor people shouldn't go to this school. You, your brother, and the Shishuni family should just be off to the Public School."

Kagome had looked like she had just been slapped in the face. Her eyes had darted towards Sesshoumaru for a second, and it seemed Karei had noticed it because she looked back to see what Kagome was looking at.

A smirk had played on her face then and she leaned forward to whisper in Kagome's ear. With the noise in the Gymnasium, Sesshoumaru had been unable to hear what she'd said to Kagome, but Kagome had looked broken at the seams when she heard it.

Tears had welled up in Kagome's eyes and she had run out of the school through the Gym fire doors, crying. It stung to see her cry. It stung very badly.

Sesshoumaru couldn't help but wonder what Karei had said and to this day he had no idea, but whatever it was, after that Kagome had given him a very cold shoulder. She no longer spared him a glance.

In time, it had seemed like it had become a natural routine, go to school, watch Kagome in Art class since he seemed fated to have that single class with her throughout the years, and then go home to a cold-hearted father, and a drunken disgusting mother.

He'd thought that over the years the crush would go away, but it only seemed to grow stronger.

It was at age thirteen (Sesshoumaru had been fourteen) that Karei seemed to receive power amongst the students. A jumpy girl Sesshoumaru's age who'd just moved to the school had gotten the first 'mark' placed on her locker the day after Karei had gotten food accidentally dumped on her.

At first, everyone had been confused when they saw the black cloth taped to the girl's locker, but soon word spread that everyone was supposed to be cruel to the girl, hate her, and chase her out of the school.

After that, the girl didn't seem to notice any change in status, but three more people in the next five months had been 'marked' and run out of the school.

Kagome and the rest of her friends hadn't liked when her brother had gotten the mark for an unknown reason, so they'd attacked Karei, beating on the girl until the teachers separated them, Karei had a bloody nose, black eye, and swollen split lip, plus there would be multiple other bruises on her face later on.

The next day, Sesshoumaru had seen the black cloth on Kagome's locker and he'd taken it off before Kagome had seen it, but Kagome wouldn't have been able to anyway since she and her friends had a three day out of school suspension.

He hadn't wanted to know Kagome's reaction to being marked and he didn't think that Karei doing that was right at all. A lot of the students had seen it before it was removed though, and since then they'd treated Kagome worse and worse. She was deemed an 'outcast of society'.

Sesshoumaru knew that the harsh treatment had made Kagome cry over the years even if she didn't know why they did it, but slowly the crying turned to anger and rather than cry she began to get this mysterious glint in her eye and she would always write in this little purple notebook, laughing every so often at something she wrote.

After a while the purple notebook changed to being a gray one, and then a blue one, and then a red one, and finally it had become black. Sesshoumaru always wondered what was in those notebooks, but knew he would never find out considering that she wouldn't even tell her brother whom she seemed to have such a good bond with.

"Sesshoumaru, you okay?" Inuyasha asked, waving a hand in front of his elder brother's face. "Woohoo? Anyone there?" He lightly rapped his knuckles on Sesshoumaru's head, Sesshoumaru dropped the paddle to grab Inuyasha's wrist.

"Don't do that." He said, and then added in a less-than-heartfelt threat, "Unless you want to lose your hand."

"Ha, whatever! As if you could beat me!" He said, grinning and crossing his arms across his chest in a confident manner.

Sesshoumaru reached up to where he knew Inuyasha's dog-ears were and yanked on one of the invisible attachments. Inuyasha gave a little yelp, both hands going up to grab Sesshoumaru's wrist to keep him from pulling harder. Sesshoumaru gave his younger half-brother a smirk, "What was that, puppy?" He said, using the childish nickname for his brother.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow... Okay, okay! Fine, Sess! You're king, KING! Just don't take it out on the ears!" He begged, also using the childish nickname. "Ow, ow, ow!"

Sesshoumaru dropped his icy mask, laughing and letting go. "Wimp." He said.

"Why you!" Inuyasha said, growling. He jumped at his brother, but because of the way he was positioned on the couch, he was unable to make the attack right and ended up tripping to the floor with his feet still on the couch. "Ow..." He said, but began laughing. Sesshoumaru laughed with him, not at him.

Soon the two were wiping tears of mirth out of their eyes. Shortly after that, Inuyasha fell asleep on the floor and Sesshoumaru dozed off on the couch, the game forgotten during the only escape the two had from their hellish lives.

Still, it wasn't much of an escape. The two, even in sleep, knew that they would soon wake and another day would start, no doubt being equally as horrid as the previous.

* * *

Kagome sighed, looking at the wall clock on the north wall in the weapon storage room. It was almost midnight. She and Souta had been working since five thirty with only a short break for dinner so that the things for the next day would be finished.

Aside from that, both were running on lack of sleep, and Kagome was taking care of an android that woke up every half hour needing something.

The two of them were currently polishing approximately thirty bows and splitting three hundred sixty arrows up between thirty quivers. Each quiver held twelve arrows. Each bow was different. They ranged in size and curve. Kagome and Souta had their own well-maintained bows, which they knew they'd probably take the next day. If they were going to be able to hunt the deer in the forest, they needed a good weapon, because they certainly couldn't use guns. No gun was allowed anywhere within the 30-acre Shrine grounds.

Once they had completed polishing a bow, they'd place it back on the rack in the weapon room in the shrine, and count out twelve arrows, placing them in the quiver and setting the quiver full of arrows by the bow.

Kagome stood, stretching momentarily. Her body ached from so much sitting hunched over. The two of them were to do what they usually took three days to do before the next morning, which was difficult.

She looked at her brother. He too looked like he could use a break. "Come on, Souta. Let's go get a soda and start your computer to printing those maps." She said.

He looked up at her, relief filling his dark blue orbs. He set the bow he was working on down along with the oil rag and stretched, covering his yawn with an oil-blackened hand.

"A moment to relax..." He draped an arm across Kagome's shoulders, chuckling. "Yes. Quite literally, a moment to relax. If mama weren't called away to bail jerk off out, we might've had help. Oh well."

Kagome jabbed him in the stomach with her forefinger. "Souta, that really isn't funny, you know."

He nodded. "Yeah, I know. I'm laughing at the irony of it."

"Ah, I see." She and Souta started for the kitchen, both quite at ease in each other's company. They'd always been able to talk to each other and be around each other much easier than they could be around most anyone else.

Slowly as the years went by though, they found it easier to be around other people as well when secrets were revealed to each other. Sango and Kohaku were Kagome and Souta's longest friends, and Miroku followed right after that.

Now, it seemed, Rin was going to be a great friend as well. She would probably learn of the five friends secrets soon enough.

"And what does her majesty want to drink today?" Souta asked, opening the fridge. "We are fresh out of soda."

Kagome sighed. "Well that bites." She went over to peer in the fridge. "Ew, gross." She took out a pitcher of juice that had a bug swimming in it and dumped it out in the sink. "That's nasty!"

"Ya that is." Souta grabbed the jug of milk, checking the expiration date before pouring him a glass and chugging it down. He used the same cup and poured Kagome a glass, which she downed.

"Thanks." Kagome said. Souta put the milk away, nodding his head as Kagome rinsed the glass out. After that, the two headed up to the attic and Souta's room. Souta turned on his computer and while it booted up, he went and sat on his couch, folding the end seat out into its recliner state and putting up his feet.

He grabbed his newest edition of comic magazine from the small stack on the table next to the couch. Kagome sat down at his computer to wait. "Wha'cha reading?"

"Spitley." He said, not removing his eyes from the book.

"Ah. I see." Kagome leaned back in the chair, putting her socked feet on the desk. Moments later the computer booted up and Souta set the comic down, coming over to load 'Map Editor' on his computer, pulling up a file that was coded 'AzureGarden'.

"How many of these things do we have to print?"

"About thirty or so."

"Okay." He took a stack of paper and stuffed it in the printer paper slot, typing for thirty copies and hitting print on the keyboard. "Right, this'll print then. Tomorrow Ms Saeko can go through and mark where the port potties are."

"What I want to know is how mama and Ms Saeko did all this without us knowing what was going on!" Kagome complained. "And how they got the port potties out there."

"It is a mystery we might never solve." He said, rubbing his temples.

"Headache?"

"Yah."

"Feel like vomiting?"

"Yah."

"Same here. It's the lack of sleep."

"God dang it!"

"God dang it."

Souta laughed and Kagome laughed with him.

Soon the two had to go back to work, finishing up the bows. Once that was done, they went to work organizing the hundreds of tents (it seemed like hundreds and probably was) into a nice stack out by the God Tree.

All of them were exactly the same size and color. Each would hold two people, each were dark green. Once that was done, the next equipment to be sorted and placed into a stack was small cooking necessities that had to be stuck in small backpacks so every group got what they needed and after that were thin small blankets that had to be stacked into a pyramid.

Finally, the last things were the environmentally friendly cleansing herbs to be sorted and placed in small packets. All the equipment had been delivered to the shrine during the school hours on Friday.

While they were doing this, the sky began to gray and lighten and all through this, Kagome had to take care of the constantly waking android.

Once they'd finished doing everything, they stretched and went inside the house, both yawning. "Maybe we can get a few hours shut eye before everyone comes and we're forced to search bags."

Souta laughed bitterly, pointing to the clock on the wall. It read six fifty.

"Aw damn." Kagome complained, lowering her head. "Well, fine, I get the shower first."

"Fine with me. You go ahead in the shower. I'll switch over the laundry from the washer to the dryer and then set your last clean robes on the hook in the bathroom for you. Don't use all the hot water, and before you dress completely I'll rub some ointment on your back."

Kagome smiled at Souta, her gratitude showing. "I've no clue what I'll do without you this whole week." She said her eyes serious but her voice joking.

Souta grinned secretively. "Just get Sesshoumaru to do it." He said, snickering.

Now Kagome was scowling. She grabbed his ear, digging her nail into the cartilage. "If you tell anyone about that, I swear you'll die! Besides, that was eight years ago! Things change you twit."

Souta laughed and cried at the same time, wiping tears of mirth and pain from his eyes. "Well, either way, its still fun to mention it. It's a wonder you kept the secret from everyone else, but I know you too well. You couldn't keep something like that from me!" Kagome let go.

"Well, if you know me so well, then you know I don't harbor those feelings any more."

"Yeah, I know. Still, I'm going to tease you!"

"Then I am going to shower."

"Okay. Don't use all the water, 'Gome."

"Whatever." Kagome headed towards the attic and Souta went downstairs. As Kagome showered, the shampoo she used to wash her waist length black hair burned as it got into the split skin on her back that had been created by Naraku's belt.

She heard Souta enter the bathroom fifteen minutes after she started showering, but as quickly as he'd come he'd gone. "Hurry up, 'Gome." He said and left.

Kagome did. She finished washing up, and then put in a clean tampon, and dressed in the clean undergarments and priestess robes that Souta had brought her. She left the top off and put her hair in a towel wrap while Souta put the ointment on her back, and when he was finished she put the top on.

"Mama's up already. She says she's very proud of us for getting that done, but she's very disappointed that we worked all night. She had thought we were smart enough to go to bed."

Souta grinned as he set his priests robes on the hook and took off his shirt to reveal a carefully muscled upper body received from years of karate lessons given by Sango and Kohaku's father and from years of street fighting. He started running the water to get it to a good temperature.

Kagome laughed, tying on the sash to the priestess robes. "We must be really stupid then." She said, leaving the bathroom and closing the door for him. She went into her room, carefully picking her way about the mess to her desk.

Her mother had set her permission slip on the desk, signed. Once she'd done that, she went into Souta's room and got the maps from the printer slot, smiling at the colorful map on top.

All of them were the same, and all of them were very well detailed. They showed where there were streams or hot springs or clearings large and small.

They showed paths through the forest, located hidden benches in the flower garden, located the fountains in the flower garden, located where in the forest the giant waterfall was, located where the ponds were, and where the dried well was.

There was a large square on the map with a tiny circle inside it, which was the most vague part of the map and across it in faint letters read the words 'Madison's Labyrinth'. In the left hand bottom corner of the map was a legend showing what things on the map meant, and in the right hand bottom corner was a compass to show what was north.

Kagome took the stack of papers down to the kitchen to greet her mother, who was tiredly making oatmeal for the three of them. "Good morning, mama." She said, pecking her mother on the cheek.

"Good morning, sweetie. Where is your brother?"

"He's taking a shower. He'll be down in a few minutes."

"Alright. I'll just let the oatmeal simmer then so it stays warm."

"Mama, how come you never told me about my cousin?"

"Because my sister and I were never on very good speaking terms... I suppose you were bound to find out sooner or later though."

"Well, I already told Ms Saeko that we're suing her and the school if anything happens to my Eden."

"I also told her that. I didn't think you would be very appreciative if something bad happened, considering the care you give it."

"I wouldn't have liked it either." Souta said, coming in the kitchen scrubbing his head dry on a towel. "We spend five hours a day caring for that garden on school nights minus Wednesday, and then from eight am to eight pm on Saturday and the same on Sunday."

Kagome pulled three bowls out of the cupboard and Kali got out three glasses. Kali sighed. "The gardeners that I hire don't like the idea much either, and told me as much."

"Well they work their asses off every day from ten am to five pm, minus Wednesday. I'd be ticked too."

Kali sent a stern look at Kagome. "Kagome, stop cussing. I mean it."

"Sorry mama."

"It's true though." Souta said, cutting a banana into small slices. "We all put our backs into that garden."

"And each year, who do you have to pick the apple grove? Us. The seven of us do it every year. Speaking of which, it'll soon be time to do that."

Kali poured three glasses of milk, and then scooped the oatmeal into the bowls, adding some banana with each. Kagome got three spoons out of the silverware drawer and each took their bowl and beverage to the dining room, sitting at the table.

"Not this week, but next week I'll probably have you do that before the apples start to fall." Kali told them.

A comfortable silence fell among the three as they ate. Finally the grandfather clock in the long dining room chimed eight. "Well, they should be here in about fifteen minutes or so. You two can go make sure everything is in order and I'll wash the dishes. I'll see you in an hour or two."

Kagome and Souta thanked their mother for the breakfast and went to brush their teeth, then after that Souta went to get the clothes from the dryer and take them up to his room where he and Kagome would pack them to use for the week. Each had chosen only two outfits. One they would wear, one for their backpacks.

* * *

"I'll bet you she chickened out." Karei said, clinging to Sesshoumaru's arm as though she were his girlfriend. She was talking to her two friends who were in her group. "Poor people do that all the time." She reasoned as they got onto one of the two buses.

Sesshoumaru sat in the very back in the one person seat, slouching down with his knees in the air and his small backpack on his lap so that Karei wouldn't sit on his lap or try to.

Inuyasha, he saw out of the corner of his eye, ended up sitting near the middle of the bus with Eleanor, his 'girlfriend' if you could call her that.

He couldn't care less where Karei sat. Hiten, Karei's partner for the android project, sat in front of Sesshoumaru with the android taking the other half of the seat. It seemed he'd already gotten sick of all the attention that the girls were giving him.

Sesshoumaru just plastered his 'I couldn't give a damn if I wanted to' look on his face and stared out the window, wondering why Kagome wasn't on the bus.

I wonder if she just stayed at the shrine? She does live there after all... And I haven't seen Souta either, so it is a possibility. He thought, miserably looking at his reflection in the window glass. He had paler skin than most Japanese, but it was still tanner than a white American.

His eyes were narrow, angled, and almond shaped. His eyes were gold, his hair silver and down past his waist. His bangs curved around a center point on his forehead where he knew there was a blue crescent shaped marking.

On his cheekbones there were two maroon lines, he knew, but these markings also weren't showing because of the witch charm. The markings on his wrists didn't show either, and neither did his fangs, pointed elfish ears, or claws.

This was how he was, he knew, but he didn't really like it. He thought it was unfair that he had to be born of two demons. He wished he could have been born of two humans so that he would live a normal life.

The ride took half an hour to get to the shrine because of a minor detour that had to be made around a construction site. Sesshoumaru reveled in the few moments he had without a girl clinging to him, but as soon as they stopped in front of the shrine, he found himself clung to again. God, can't she realize that I hate this? He thought, though he let his face betray no emotion.

When they got off the bus and Karei saw the giant staircase that she would have to climb she put on the most pathetic pout face known to man and looked at Sesshoumaru. "Sesshoumaru, will you carry me?" She whined in her obnoxiously grating voice.

Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her and shrugged away from her, starting up the steps quickly with his backpack in hand. He heard her start working at crying but ignored her. He couldn't care any less if she burst into hysterical sobs.

He was sure that if she did, he would probably burst into tears of laughter his own self. When he reached the top of the stairs he looked around. There were piles of tents, small packs of whatever, and piles of blankets, all around the courtyard.

Two people in red and white kimonos were flitting about the courtyard; trying to be sure everything was perfect. From the scents that drifted to his nose on the wind, he guessed that it was Kagome and Souta and almost smiled. Keyword, almost.

The only one he showed emotion to was his brother, and that was even a rare occasion, so Sesshoumaru didn't allow the smile to grace his stoic features. He was glad that he hadn't, because just after he pressed the smile down and locked it inside him, the wench named Karei latched onto him again.

No sense in allowing her to think that he actually liked her. His real feelings towards her were that he wouldn't care if she dropped off a cliff and every bone in her body broke, but somehow she remained alive and conscious to feel the excruciating pain.

Ms Saeko got off the second bus, climbing the stairs to the top and went to stand in front of the students, waiting for them to simmer down and listen to her.

"Alright, for approximately ten minutes, you may lounge about the courtyard. Do not go anywhere else! I will be with you shortly to explain the field trip in more detail." She then rushed over to where Kagome and Souta were on the other side of the courtyard, leaving the students to their own devices. Inuyasha came over by Sesshoumaru, and in doing so ended up dragging Eleanor with him.

"Sesshoumaru," He said, not using the childish nickname for him. He knew better than that. Sesshoumaru would have been furious if he'd done so. Only his brother could call him that, and even that was just barely.

"What, Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru said his voice the calm, unemotional void that he preferred to keep it at.

"Eleanor, would you let me go for a moment?" Inuyasha asked, struggling to get out of her grippy little fingers.

"Aw, Inuyasha, why?" Eleanor pouted. "Don't you love me?" She tried to make her voice light and feathery, Sesshoumaru noticed (like Kagome's always seemed to be), but she failed miserably and it turned out low and husky, crackly.

Inuyasha sighed, defeated, and then looked at his brother briefly before looking like he'd decided against saying whatever it had been he'd wanted to say. "Never mind." He said with a sigh. He looked at his brother for a moment, before following his eyes to where Sesshoumaru was looking.

Stupid girl. He thought miserably. Just because our father is rich doesn't mean we don't have problems...

Sesshoumaru looked away from Kagome to glance at his brother. "Play nice with the wolves, Inuyasha." He said quietly so that only Inuyasha could hear, refraining from grinning. He knew his brother was murderous about the whole situation.

Inuyasha's golden orbs lit up angrily, but he kept his voice down. "This is a shitty arrangement if ever I saw one."

"Yes, but it gets you out of the house."

Inuyasha could not disagree with that, because it was true. Ms Saeko was a blessing in disguise.

Ms Saeko looked at the top map that Kagome had given her. It was truly a remarkable piece. It was simplistic yet ornate at the same time. She wasn't sure how that was even possible, but it was. "You did a fine job, Kagome." She said, praising the girl.

Kagome smiled a tired smile at the teacher who was her cousin. "Souta did most of it." She admitted.

"Well, Souta, Kagome, you both did excellent on this. I appreciate you sorting the equipment out as well. We might even be able to start by ten this morning, rather than the expected noon. But anyway, would you search through bags and take out unnecessary items?"

"Of course." Kagome said, knowing that she had no choice. Kali was expecting them to do so. "Can you have them form a line?"

Ms Saeko nodded and excused herself from their company. Souta had a box of paper bags sitting next to him and he opened one, setting it on the ground, and then took out a pen, notebook, and permanent marker from the box, opening the notebook to the first page and taking the cap off the pen.

Ms Saeko returned to by the group of teens, smiling broadly at them. "Now, to check for unnecessary items. The two Shrine Keepers will check your bags and if there are unnecessary items, they will be confiscated until the first when you will receive them back.

"Please form a single file line. Your backpacks will be filled with the necessary camping equipment once it is checked, and when it is checked you may find a place to sit in the courtyard."

As asked, the students flocked towards Kagome and Souta, forming a line. Kagome checked the first backpack, taking out nine carefully folded sets of clothes, a box of granola bars, a flashlight, batteries, a CD walkman, two pencils, and a sketchbook, calling out the name of the person who owned the backpack to Souta, who wrote that down and wrote down everything the person had.

Kagome put only one set of clothes back in the backpack, along with the box of granola bars, the flashlight, the flashlight batteries, the pencils and sketchbook. The rest she put in the paper bag, which Souta marked with the name of the person who owned it, and set it off to the side.

"You can't do that!" The boy yelled. "Give back my stuff!"

"You'll get it back on the first." Kagome said, unperturbed. Kagome handed the bag to Kali, who had come out of the house to help, dressed in a priestess robe. "One from each pile except the tents." She explained, and her mother hurried to comply. The boy stomped after Kali, waiting to retrieve his backpack again.

The process continued for an hour, in which students from the Public School arrived along with the gardeners. Kagome didn't have to check the students from the Public School's bags, because they were being checked by multiple of the gardeners (who also wore priest and priestess robes).

"Next." Kagome said, looking at the next person who she'd check. Sango wore the traditional black with stripes pants, though today she'd gone with a blue tank top with the words 'I love...' sprawled across the chest and blue stripes.

Her makeup was a blue theme, with the heavy eyeliner that she and Kagome favored. She'd done her nails up in a dark blue color. Her hair was in the normal high ponytail. "Hey, Sango!" Kagome said, grinning.

"Hey, 'Gome." Sango greeted back. "Hey Souta."

"Hey."

With a brief glance Kagome saw that the rest of the group, and Kikyou, were behind Sango. She and Souta said hi to each of them and everyone said their returns. Miroku wore a pair of army green khakis with enormous pockets (all of his pants had enormous pockets which wasn't a surprise) and a tan wife beater under a white tee shirt.

The bruise on his eye was fading, but now he had a puffy lip (which he'd not gotten in the fight the previous day). As always, he wore the purple fingerless glove on his hand, the gold ring, and the necklace and cross. The two tiny gold hoops were in each ear and his hair was in its dragon tail.

Kohaku wore a pair of beige khakis and a black shirt. His hair was combed neat for once and he seemed unable to keep his brown eyes off of Kikyou.

Kikyou had the android in her arms; Kohaku had the diaper bag and seat. Kikyou wore a white tank top and loose maroon pants. Her hair was in a low tie at the nape of her neck with two strands lightly hanging over her shoulders, yet still going back into the tie.

She wore no make up other than a light feathering of pink eye shadow and lip gloss. Rin was just behind Kikyou, frightened to no end about having to stand by a tall boy who was giving her funny looks. She wore the school uniform and her usual hairdo, no make up, and no jewelry. All five of them wore decent walking shoes.

Kagome began searching Sango's bag. "One outfit, one pack of light sticks, two chocolate bars, one water bottle, one brush, one five by two inch makeup case containing," Kagome paused and whispered in Souta's ear.

Souta snickered at Sango and wrote it down. "One sketchbook, five pencils, one large eraser, and an inhaler." Sango had asthma. Kagome put everything back in. Sango didn't have anything unreasonable, and none of it took up all that much space. The others were much the same, except the guys didn't have the makeup case holding unmentionables or the brush or the inhaler.

Once the equipment was in each of their backpacks, they went and sat under the God Tree in the center of the courtyard.

"Next," Kagome said, looking at the next person. She scowled. "Karei."

"Kagome." Karei looked at Kagome with obvious disgust etched into her face. "You aren't touching my things."

Kagome collected her angry thoughts, and placed them in an orderly fashion. It wouldn't do to allow Karei to get the upper hand. "I have to. It's my job. Give me the bag, Karei."

Karei just stood there, latched onto Sesshoumaru's arm, ignoring Kagome.

"Karei, I will only say this one more time before I get angry." Kagome warned. Karei ignored her. "Fine." She stood from the bench she sat on, grabbing Karei by the hair. Karei was so shocked by the sudden pain that she let go of Sesshoumaru, her hands moving to her head, holding her hair, not wanting to lose a giant clump of hair.

Kagome let go of her hair, grabbing her arm and dragging her over to her mother. "You don't want me to do it? Fine. I didn't want to anyway! I stay up longer than twenty four hours to do this stuff, and this is my thanks! God dang it!" She shoved the girl wearing the school uniform to the ground in front of her mother.

"Mama, you get to search her crap." She said angrily, walking back to the line. Her mother sighed, shook her head sadly, and then went to help Karei, who was crying because she'd scraped her hand.

Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru with burning anger clear in her eyes. "Don't make a scene, rich boy. Give me your bag so I can search it, because now I'm in a severely ticked mood."

Sesshoumaru wanted to roll his eyes, but refrained from it. Kagome noticed that he wasn't wearing the school uniform. He wore clothes for comfort. His sweatshirt was hooded with a pocket and on the left shoulder were little red cherry blossoms.

He wore a pair of loose white khakis with multiple pockets. As always, Kagome wondered how he could be so completely unblemished in his looks, so gorgeous, even through the mask of stone.

She'd only seen him without it once in her entire life of knowing him, and that had been the other day when she'd walked in on him waking up in her room.

Secretly, she wished she'd be able to see him like that again, but she crushed those wishes before they formed very much. He's rich, I'm poor. Those are a combination that never works. She told herself angrily. And the only time it works is if your name is Cinderella. My name isn't. It's quite clearly Kagome. And besides, I don't like him that way anymore. He's a pompous jerk. Why am I even thinking these ridiculous thoughts?

He gave her his bag and she sat down on the bench, opening it. She was surprised to find the thing near empty. She'd expected him to have loads of clothes, and miscellaneous totally unneeded things. But he didn't, he actually had the barest essentials.

"One pair of clothes, one bottle of water, one sketchbook, one notebook, three pencils, one large eraser, one small carry pencil sharpener, and two black pens."

Sesshoumaru had almost panicked that she would question the notebook, but she just put everything back in and gave the bag to her mother, who had finished with Karei.

He left to follow Kali as Kagome began checking the last of the bags. When Inuyasha had his bag checked and filled with the necessary items (dried food stuffs, the small packet of cooking utensils, blanket, and etc) he went and stood by Sesshoumaru, who had chosen to stand off to the side of everyone else.

Ms Saeko was scolding Karei for the scene she caused (for once it was Karei in trouble for something not Kagome, it had always been the other way around when Karei would pin Kagome for all her wrongdoings, unable to take responsibility for her own actions) so Sesshoumaru had a break from the leech, as he thought of her. Karei the anorexic leech.

"She seems mad today." Inuyasha pointed out, casually avoiding saying who he was talking about, knowing Sesshoumaru knew anyway. "She also seems exhausted."

"Hmm."

Inuyasha shut up, realizing that his brother wasn't in the mood to talk. Five minutes later the bag checks were done. Ms Saeko went from where she had been discussing something with another teacher who was from the Public School.

"Alright, everyone, simmer please!" She said in her mischievous voice. Sesshoumaru saw the entire group of shrine keepers go into the shrine in a hurry, including Kagome and Souta. "Today you are going to be released out into the sixteen acre Sunset Garden, where you will be living for the next week."

Sesshoumaru zoned her out. He didn't care at the moment. He wanted to know where Kagome had gone and why she wasn't listening to the talk. He wondered where the android was; wondering if that was why she was gone.

For a second he felt guilty about having to leave Kagome with the doll. His mother would have smashed the thing if she'd seen or heard it though, so he'd had no choice but to ditch her after school.

After about ten minutes though, she came out of the Shrine, changed and ready to go. She had an unstrung bow connected to her backpack along with a quiver of arrows, and was carrying the android in her arms, feeding it a bottle.

She wore the same make up theme she'd worn the day before with black clothes, two silver stripes up the sides of her black pants and the words 'Breaker of hearts' sprawled across the black tank top in sparkling silver letters.

She was once again garbed in her bell jewelry, but surprisingly she made no sound. He thought that was quite odd. Her hair was done in a long braid down her back and she had a black hooded sweatshirt tied to her waist. Sesshoumaru noticed a very colorful strap next to the black straps.

Souta carried the seat and diaper bag for her, wearing baggy blue jean shorts and a blue shirt that said 'I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it'. He too had an unstrung bow and a quiver of arrows on his backpack.

Kagome said something to Souta and he nodded, handing her (somehow she was able to juggle it all) the diaper bag and seat, then going over by their friends while Kagome went over towards Sesshoumaru.

Vaguely Sesshoumaru heard Ms Saeko say "get into your groups" but he didn't register this until his group had come to him. Once more Karei latched onto his left arm.

He felt if she didn't let go soon, his left arm would fall off from lack of blood circulation. The rest of the Shrine Keepers came out carrying a large rack filled with bows and arrows and one person from each of the thirty groups got a bow.

He tore his attention away from Kagome and the other Shrine Keepers to try to pay attention to Ms Saeko.

"-and you will be able to hunt, though whatever you kill you must eat. Now, I'll give all the group leaders a map. The red letters 'x' on the map mark where there are restrooms, though I warn you they are port potties.

"You are not allowed to enter the Shrine at any time for any reason." She had obviously concluded her speech pretty much. "Now, you will be released one group at a time, and you must stay amongst your groups. You will be checked on from time to time. Good luck, and don't forget to do your mini-sketches!"

Kagome was surprised to find her group released first. They were transported by way of an Auto Transport Vehicle to the woods. It seemed that each group would be transported to a different part of the Garden in hopes of keeping them separated. Karei held the map and was trying hard to understand it, even though it was easy to understand. Then Kagome noticed she was holding it upside down.

"You might want to hold it right side up." Kagome pointed out, not looking at Karei but looking at the tall trees to her left. They stood on a path that followed the edge of the woods. On the right side of the path was some very tall grass, easily four feet tall.

Karei scowled at Kagome. "Who's the leader here?" She snapped.

Kagome shrugged. "Well, your highness," she said, mock bowing, "I'm sorry I interrupted your moment of meditation. But incase you are wondering, you are facing north, so you should have the compass on the map facing north."

A particularly strong gust of wind blew by, taking the map Karei held with it. "The map! Higurashi, go get it!"

"I'm sorry," Kagome dug in her ear, "I think I must have heard wrong. I thought I heard you ordering me about." She turned back to the woods. "Karei, you want that map, you go fetch it." She slipped into the trees, disappearing into the mass of vines and tree branches.

Karei squawked her anger and chased after, the map forgotten as it flew higher and higher into the sky on the wind. Sesshoumaru picked up the android's seat and diaper bag. Kagome still had the android, and Hiten was struggling to take care of the android himself.

The rest of the group followed after, the two remaining girls carrying two of the three tents given to the group. Sesshoumaru was also carrying one of the tents. His back was getting sore from all the weight on it, but he knew Karei wouldn't offer to help carry anything.

"Higurashi, you have to follow me!"

"How can I follow an idiot? I'm not a mindless drone like your friends are." She called back. "Now move. I want to get somewhere and you aren't making things easy for me."

Three hours of walking later, though it seemed like only twenty minutes later, Karei stopped, refusing to go any further. "I'm not moving from this spot!" She said defiantly.

Kagome sighed. 'I knew I wouldn't get to the waterfall.' "Fine, Karei." She said, going over to Sesshoumaru. She took the seat from him, setting it on the ground. They were on a small dirt path at the moment, only about two feet wide.

Kagome stuck the android comfortably in the seat. "There is a clearing just a little off the path, so we'll camp there." She rubbed her temples, closing her eyes a moment.

"I said I'm not moving from this spot!"

Kagome's eyes snapped open, narrowing at Karei. "You'll move, or I'll move you. Either way works for me. So, what's it gonna be?"

Karei glared at Kagome, sticking her nose up in the air. Kagome just shrugged. "Fine, let the coyotes eat you." She said, picking the seat and diaper bag up, walking off the path through the trees again.

Sesshoumaru sighed and the four of them, Hiten, Sesshoumaru, Chrisa, and Maren, followed Kagome and Karei.

Five minutes later they were standing in a clearing. Karei was shivering, being completely soaked from head to toe, Kagome was laughing.

"You bitch!"

"Me bitch!" Kagome said, still laughing, agreeing with her. "Next time you will know to watch where you walk."

There was a small stream running through the clearing, in which Sesshoumaru guessed Karei must have fallen. "Higurashi, you"

"Yes, me. Now, Karei, I suggest you go behind that rock over there and change before you turn blue." Kagome said. She shrugged her backpack off, setting it next to the sleeping android. "If you want, you can set up your tents."

Hiten set the android down, sighing. "Alright, thank you Higurashi."

Kagome reached into her backpack, pulling out what looked like a jerky stick and popping it in her mouth. "Don't thank me. I would have continued the pace. Thank Karei." She rolled her blanket out on the ground and Sesshoumaru noticed that the sky above the trees seemed to be darkening.

Sesshoumaru shrugged his things from his back as Karei went grudgingly behind the rock to change. Sesshoumaru, Chrisa, Maren, and Hiten began to set up the three tents. Kagome took her sweatshirt off, balling it up and using it as a pillow, her arms cradling the back of her head.

Karei came out from behind the rock in dry clothes, setting her wet ones to dry on a low tree branch. Once she'd finished that, she went and latched onto Sesshoumaru. "I'll sleep in your tent, Sesshoumaru!" She exclaimed.

Kagome gagged, none to quietly. "I don't think the rest of us want to hear you two having sex." She said.

Karei just smiled blissfully.

Sesshoumaru pulled his hand out of Karei's grasp. "You will not sleep in my tent." He said in his monotone voice.

"But,"

"I said no." He said, ending the discussion.

Karei pouted, then went and latched onto Hiten, who eyed her like she was a poisonous snake. "Okay then, I'll sleep in your tent!" She told him.

"Um..."

"Great! You agree!" Karei said before he had a chance to say no. In her voice was a threat: the threat of being marked if he said no.

Hiten nodded numbly. "Are you going to help take care of the android?" He asked hopefully.

"Of course not!" She scoffed.

And so it was that Sesshoumaru had his own tent, Karei shared with Hiten, and Chrisa and Maren shared with each other. Kagome slept outside on the ground, preferring the open ground to an enclosed tent. Each of her group members went into their tents.

She laid the android on the ground next to her and watched the thing for a moment. It had grown since the day before. It was able to crawl already. She grinned at the little boy android. He actually looked real. His skin felt real, not like the plastic it was.

"Bababa." The android said, looking at Kagome with those deep blue eyes of his. "Babababa." Kagome watched as the baby tipped itself onto its stomach and crawled over to Kagome, butting her stomach with his head, drooling on her blanket. "BABABA"

Kagome reached into her bag for the bottle, giving it to the eager android, picking him up and feeding him. When he was done, she burped him, changed him, and let him crawl around for a while.

Soon, he'd fallen asleep so she covered him with his baby blanket and lay by him, drifting off into a light sleep, for the first time in the longest time she was sleeping on her back. It hurt, but it kept her aware of her surroundings in her sleep.

Kagome woke before dawn, picking the baby up and taking him over by Sesshoumaru's tent, kneeling before it, zipping it slowly, quietly open. She crawled in, one hand holding the sleeping android.

Sesshoumaru groggily woke up when he heard his tent being unzipped. His first thought was that it was his mother, but then he remembered he wasn't at home, so he calmed down. Then he heard it continue to unzip and through his grogginess, he couldn't register who it was by scent and it was too dark to see.

He growled as the person began to close the distance between them in the tent. "Karei, get out." He said, only to be answered with a chuckle that was certainly not in Karei's voice.

Kagome set the android next to Sesshoumaru, moving so her mouth was next to his ear. "Karei, huh? And what about yesterday? I thought you would be one to hold people to their word, yet you didn't make me your slave. Am I off the hook?" She whispered humor in her voice.

Sesshoumaru blushed at their closeness, thankful for the dark to hide it. He thought quickly. He had actually forgotten about the deal in the chaos of Friday. At that moment, he just wanted her to be away from him so his speeding heart wouldn't burst out of his chest.

He steeled his voice, not wanting to let it be squeaky and nervous especially in front of her. "Off the hook."

"Really?" She breathed in his ear, knowing she was –for some reason- making him nervous. She smirked. I wonder why... I'll have to find out this week. He just nodded, looking anywhere but at the shadow that was her body next to him. He heard her chuckle quietly. "Don't let Karei kill the android, and think of a name for it. I'll be back soon."

She left him in the tent with the sleeping baby android next to him, curling up against him; to go put her sweatshirt on, grabbing her bow and arrows. She strung her bow and walked toward where she knew a deer trail was.


	5. Fifth Chapter

Kagome crouched down to wait. She had masked her scent by rubbing pine tree sap and dirt into her skin, hair, and clothes, preferring not to use the gift given her by her grandmother.

She knew if she used it she would be accepting a certain fact that she had no intention to. She carefully reached to her back, extracting an arrow from the carefully arranged quiver, knocking it to the string.

She looked around. She didn't pull the arrow back, knowing that it would tiring to hold the position for what could be hours of wait, and it would most likely unnerve her and make her jumpy. She practiced slow breathing, calming herself. She was surrounded by bushes. The sun had yet to even think about cresting the horizon, which for her was a good thing.

For a moment she knelt in the dew kissed fallen leaves and pine needles before looking up into the tree above her. Above the tree, through the branches, the sky was beginning to lighten, the stars fading slowly. She calmed her excitedly beating heart, tuning her senses to her surroundings.

Through her ears she could hear the sounds of owls calling goodnight to the woods. She could hear bats fly overhead, finding a roost for the day, filled and content with their evening meal of bugs. She could hear the cheerful voices of the birds as they began waking to greet the morning.

She could hear movement in the leaves and pine needles as ground animals woke to scrounge for breakfast. She could see the air around her lighten up and see the tree branches and small patches of grass on the path before her move in a sway with the light breeze that blew through the forest. She could smell water of the nearby spring, hear its trickling. She could smell the pine trees sap; feel the sticky substance glue to her body.

As the sun crested the horizon, she heard it. It was the soft scamp sound in the undergrowth. She waited. She would only have one chance, she knew. Rabbits were fast. She knelt at ease, yet not moving.

The rabbit came into sight, about thirty feet downwind. Any movements she might make wouldn't carry on the breeze to be heard by the rabbit, though she wouldn't risk it. Still she didn't move. The rabbit looked about the area, trying to decide whether or not there were any immediate threats to the area. She didn't move.

Slowly it continued hopping, stopping to nibble a patch of grass on the path. Rabbits loved clover better than grass, sweet clover especially, but there was none in the area.

She didn't allow herself to hold her breath. She continued her calm breathing, not wanting to alert the rabbit to the danger she posed. She was hidden in the bushes under a tree to the side of the path.

Despite popular opinion, she knew rabbits were smart. One wrong move and the rabbit would be gone. She couldn't afford mistakes. Slowly, as though she were just a tree swaying in the breeze, she raised the bow.

The rabbit looked in the direction of her position, but she sat still as stone. Moments later, it looked away and she pulled the bow taut. The rabbit realized its mistake and tried to run, but too late. She had predicted its runaway path already, compensating for it, and let the arrow fly.

The rabbit jumped into the path of the arrow, the arrow embedding deep into its chest cavity. The rabbit gave a gurgled pained squeal before dying. She went, smirking, to retrieve her kill, and then made her way back to the camp, slung bow over her shoulder as she picked up firewood on the way.

There was not much firewood that she could pick up while holding her kill, but Kagome did find some that she could carry along with the rabbit. On her way back to camp, Kagome found a 'Ye Olde Port-e-potty' and did her business, changing her tampon (since she did have her period, she would need to do that), and disinfecting her hands with the hand sanitizer.

That finished, she proceeded to the camp once more, hearing giggling sounds upon her entrance. She raised an eyebrow at Sesshoumaru, who had a certain blood sucking leech named Karei hanging off of him.

To Kagome (and everyone else), it looked like he didn't mind the attention, but he did and he was getting rather annoyed though his looks didn't show it. He stood just outside the tent he'd slept in, a step away from it. "Getting friendly?" Kagome sneered, tossing the rabbit and the wood on the ground.

Karei laughed in her nauseatingly screechy voice. Her friends backed her laugh with their own high pitched laughs. "Jealous, 'Gome?" Karei said, fluttering her eyelashes in Kagome's direction.

Her friends giggled again, Maren saying, "Hun, you KNOW she is. How could she not be?"

"Hunny, she's jealous of you!" Chrisa declared. "There's no one on this earth who could be luckier than our Karei-baby!"

Karei blushed prettily at the praise. Kagome scowled, hating that Karei was so much more beautiful than her. Kagome had always felt inadequate when it came to being compared to Karei, who was considered the most beautiful girl in the school (by popular demand and not because of her money, surprisingly).

Karei had everything that Kagome did not, and everything that Kagome had, she had ten times as much of. Kagome wasn't complaining that she didn't have any friends; in fact she had five very good friends (one being new and one being her brother, but they still counted to her), Souta, Kohaku, Sango, Miroku, and now Rin too.

But still, where Kagome had five friends, Karei was the most popular girl in the entire private school, plus she had friends from numerous other places.

Where Kagome had a single car that she had to share with her brother (that she was lucky to have even), Karei had an entire car dealership at her disposal and could have any car she wanted.

When Kagome had gotten her new computer that she'd had to work two jobs for an entire school year to save up for, Karei had bragged about how she'd gotten her daddy to buy her three new computers so she could be shopping at three different websites at the same time, using her three new credit cards that her daddy had given her.

And when Kagome had crushed on Sesshoumaru the first week he'd came, the first time she'd seen him even, Karei had taken that away too – crushed her hopes of ever being seen in his eyes.

What Karei had said that day during Gym class had absolutely shattered any ounce of childish dreams that she once had, forcing her to grow up early, even though it was only a few words and really nothing to cry over, nothing to get upset about, and nothing worth letting it get to her and destroy her dreams of being a 'damsel in distress'.

Well, what Karei had said had distressed her all right, and since she was a girl she had the damsel part covered well enough, but there was no one else who heard Karei's words, and no one came to help her piece back together her broken heart so she'd had to do it on her own.

She used the strongest glue she could use to mend a broken heart, and that was her memories. It worked, but rather than giving her back the soft kind-hearted heart that she'd once had, opening her arms freely to anyone even if they were like Karei, she had a strong no-nonsense heart that wouldn't stand for being pushed around.

Sesshoumaru had never seen that first side of her, she was sure, because he wasn't really around long enough to before she changed herself to coincide with the cruel world that she lived in.

Somehow, Karei always made her heart weak and fragile though. Kagome was sometimes able to stand up to Karei, but not always, for instance when her friends weren't around, and now she knew she was failing.

Standing up to Medallion was easy, she could do that blindfolded, because she knew what he wanted from her, and she knew she wouldn't give it to him. With Medallion it was always punch or be punched.

She had never known what Karei wanted from her though. What Karei wanted from Kagome couldn't possibly be looks, because Karei was definitely prettier than Kagome.

Karei looked much like both her mother and her father, with long mid-back length perfectly curly blond hair that never seemed to have a bad day, amazingly bright almond shaped green eyes that sparkled with life every single moment of the day, high cheek bones that made her look royal, full lush pink lips, soft delicately tanned skin, a dainty nose, rosy cheeks, perfectly structured eyebrows, and she never seemed to have a problem with acne at all, though that did run in the family since Kagome and her brother never had that problem either. It was from her father's side of the family.

Karei could virtually have any man and a lot of women in all of Sunset, whether they were older, younger, hell even the dead would find her attractive even through all the makeup she sometimes wore. It was like she was a goddess walking on earth, just a goddess with a very nasty habit of clutching onto men.

That was her only flaw, that she thought she needed a man to get anywhere in the world. Her screechy high voice wasn't even her normal tone of voice; she actually had a very beautiful soprano voice, though it was still much lower in tone than the one she constantly was prone to fall back on.

Karei had always had a grudge against her since they had met at age six and seven, and Kagome never could understand how the two were related until she had found out that Karei's father was brother to her father, but Karei's father had taken the last name of his wife after being disowned by the two girls' grandfather (on both of their father's side).

Kagome sighed rubbing her hand on her forehead and getting rabbits blood in her hair and on her skin. She knew that a rant was coming. Karei always ranted about anything and everything to Kagome when she 'decided to pop in to visit her family' at the Shrine. Karei always did that, disturbing Kagome while she was at her job.

"You know, 'Gome, we're all feeling pretty hungry right now." Karei said imperiously, in her falsetto voice. "You should make us some food. And be quick about it. Oh, and I don't want any bones from that rabbit in my food, and I don't want it too crispy, and I don't want it too juicy.

"And I would like something to drink, water from that stream, it seems like it will be cold enough, my water bottle is empty, so you can fill that up." That was another thing that Kagome hated. Karei always made Kagome feel like an inferior.

Kagome bit back and listened to the rant, waiting for Karei to run out of breath, but it didn't seem like that would be happening any time soon.

"-And you can also wash my other pair of clothes, this one is dirty, I can't be walking around in dirty clothes can I? So you wash them, and hang them up to, no wait that would get them dirty if they were hung on a sappy tree, wouldn't it? Yes, it would, so you can blow them dry, I don't care if you have to do it with your own breath, but do it and I want them dry in a half an hour, and in the meantime I will-"

By this time Kagome had fully zonked out. She remembered back to the first time her uncle and his wife had brought Karei over to visit with Kali.

It hadn't been Naraku that he'd come to see, so he'd scheduled the visit on a day that Naraku was away. Naraku and Hakudoushi might have been brothers, but the two hated each other, thus the scheduling the visit when Naraku was at the casino gambling away Kali's hard earned money.

Hakudoushi wanted to visit Kali though, because the two had been very good friends in college and though Hakudoushi had fallen in love with Kali, the feeling was not mutual and they just stayed good friends after college, even though Naraku told Kali not to speak to Hakudoushi ever again.

Even at such a young age of five and six, Kali had begun to teach her children responsibility, which Karei obviously found very amusing. She'd never seen a mop or broom before in her life, what with Hakudoushi and May (an American woman with long blond curly hair and green eyes, pale skin, high cheekbones, and full red lips) having so many servants to do the 'dirty work' as Karei had so 'innocently' called it.

Karei had been seven at the time, yet she'd never been exposed to the life called chores. Kagome and Souta had been sweeping and mopping the dinning room when Hakudoushi and May had brought Karei over.

"Kagome, Souta, we have visitors." Kali had said, entering the enormous dinning room. "Please, come greet your uncle Hakudoushi and your aunt May and your cousin Karei."

Kagome looked up to see her mother standing in the doorway, beaming at the two of them. She reached over and poked Souta, who had been mopping next to her but hadn't heard their mother. "Souta, mama wants us to meet her brother! Come on!"

Souta looked up at Kagome and then looked at their mother. When he saw her, he gave a happy yip and rushed to her, mindless that he was trampling on wet floor. "Mama! Lookit! We're doing just what you said! We're moping!"

Kali chuckled, bending down to hug her son. "No, not 'moping' Souta, you're 'mopping'. 'Moping' means you're being sad, 'mopping' means you're cleaning the floor with soap and water."

Kagome giggled, bouncing over to Kali as well, though careful to step around the very zigzagged pattern of mopped floor. She hadn't wanted to get her stockings wet. "Mama, where is your brother?" She questioned.

Souta looked at Kali with excited navy-blue eyes. "Yah mama, where is your silling? See, mama? 'Gome taught me a new word! Silling!"

Kagome looked at Souta scoldingly, waggling a finger at his tiny nose. "No, not 'silling', Souta, that isn't even a word!"

Souta pouted. "But that's what you said! You told me that sillings was what me and you were, 'cause we're big sister and little brother!" He objected.

Kali chuckled again, taking one of each of her children's hands in her own, walking with them to the living room which was also the waiting room for people. "Now now, Souta, Kagome is right. 'Silling' isn't a word. You must have mistaken her when she said 'sibling' and thought she said 'silling'."

Souta made a goofy face, giggling and hopping beside his mother, swinging his and her hands back and forth. "Oh, my miscake!" He chirped.

Kali and Kagome giggled at his third word mess-up, but didn't bother objecting, fearing to discourage the boy from trying. "So where is your sibling?" he asked, carefully pronouncing the word, testing it on his tongue.

"Oh, he isn't my sibling." Kali said, still in that happy tone of voice. "He is your daddy's sibling. He wanted to stop by and say hello quick before going to help move into his new house, just on the next block over."

They entered the waiting room where Hakudoushi, May, and Karei were waiting, and Kagome saw the little girl stand nervously behind her mother, clutching her mother's skirt tightly in her tiny fingers.

Kali beamed down at the young blond, bending down to eye level, letting go of her children's hands. "Hello, Karei, do you remember me?" She asked.

Karei smiled and nodded. "Karei 'members Kali, the doctor lady!" She said proudly, but she still stood nervously behind her mother, sending quick glances at Kagome and Souta as though if she didn't keep an eye on them they would sneak up on her and bite her.

Kali nodded, smiling still as she stood. "Well, Karei, I would like you to meet your cousins Kagome," she placed a hand on Kagome's head, "and Souta," she placed her other hand on Souta's head and then ruffled her children's hair. Both boy and girl giggled, shoving their mother's hand away and trying to fix their askew hair.

Karei began to pout then, probably upset that she was not the center of attention at the moment. "So, Kali, where is my dearest brother at?" Hakudoushi asked in a sarcastic tone of voice. "Is he off at the casino again?"

May sighed, shaking her head sadly when Kali nodded, a grim look crossing her flawless features momentarily. "Oh, Kali, you should really divorce him. You're still young, and there are men just lining up for you!" May's accent was apparent in her voice, but she spoke Japanese fluently.

Kali blushed prettily, "May, they're not lining up for me, they're lining up for psychiatry sessions!" She protested, though Hakudoushi and May smiled secretively at each other and laughed lightly. "Oh stop it you two." Kali said the blush worsening as she obviously knew what her two friends were laughing at.

"Mommy will tell Karei what she is laughing at right now!" Karei stomped her feet for emphasis at her anger of being left out.

May giggled, smoothing Karei's hair. "Someday when you're older, my little Karei." She said.

A slap on the cheek brought Kagome back to earth. Kagome looked at Karei, raising an eyebrow at the girl, knowing it would irritate her. "'Gome, you aren't listening to me!" Karei said angrily. "I'm the important one, not your stupid thoughts of nothing."

Kagome rubbed her stinging cheek. "Wow for a bitch you really can slap. I'm sure that will come in handy when you decide to pick up that application for Catwoman. Then you can get into cat fights all you want." Kagome concluded with finality.

Maren, and Chrisa gasped, 'horrified' by Kagome's lack of respect towards Karei. Karei seethed. "How dare you!" She yelled her falsetto voice making birds fly from their nests to find shelter from the loud noisemaker. A loud wail filled the air, and a second followed soon after.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "How dare I? Well, I sort of just... open my mouth and the words come out. It's easy." She was surprised that she was so easily standing up for herself, but didn't take time to ponder about it.

She looked at Sesshoumaru, who sometime during Karei's screaming, had gotten out of Karei's death hold and went into the tent to take care of the android, while Hiten was already taking care of his and Karei's. Kagome had no doubt that Karei had done nothing as of yet to take care of the thing.

"Karei, instead of picking a fight with Kagome, you could play your motherly part and help me with Yuki!" Hiten yelled.

Karei rolled her eyes, "I swear, men are useless!" She turned back to Kagome. "We are not through with this little chat, 'Gome. We're going to continue it in a few minutes!" Karei stomped over to Hiten and started to care for the baby android.

Kagome shrugged. Wow, she's actually doing something for herself for once. She thought while quickly moving over to Sesshoumaru's tent. She figured since he was a rich boy, he would probably have to have help, but surprisingly he knew what he was doing, and the baby was slowly falling to sleep while he burped it.

She looked at the tiny tot and saw that it was already quite larger than it had been when she had left it with Sesshoumaru. Her eyes widened as she looked at the baby boy. He was very cute indeed, and Kagome almost had difficulty believing that it was actually an android.

Sesshoumaru, as if almost sensing her thoughts, looked at her. "What? Think I can't handle myself around kids?" He asked.

Kagome shrugged nonchalantly. "No, I was thinking that..." When he quirked an eyebrow at her, she felt her anger rising. God, she really loathed him looking at her like that. "Fine! I was thinking that." She whispered angrily.

"But hey, you're a rich boy who probably pays to get his homework done, just like Karei, so what am I supposed to think? Hmm?" She kept her voice down, so as not to wake the android up again.

Sesshoumaru set aside her angry comments, though they stung him greatly. He wished that she would see how much he liked her, but then again, he was thankful that she didn't know. If she knew, he was afraid of what she'd do which was most likely turn him down in less than a heartbeat's time and then laugh at him for it.

"His name is Lenny." He said quietly, pulling the child away from his shoulder and then starting to change him.

Kagome blinked. "What?" He didn't get upset and pout that I called him a cheater?

Sesshoumaru gave a sigh of exasperation, a sign of emotion which startled Kagome. He was always so stiff, giving off the impression of a snotty rich kid.

He continued changing the baby and repeated what he'd said. "His name is Lenny. You told me to think of a name for him, so I did. If you don't like it, he seems impartial to it so I'm sure he won't mind if you changed it."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "The whole point of you picking the name was because you're a," her voice was sarcastic and mocking tone.

"Rich boy?" He interrupted his voice an even monotone. "Is there something you have against me personally, or are you always like this to anyone whose father has money?"

"You personally." Kagome spat out truthfully. "I don't hate the entire populous of rich people, just you and Karei and all those other jerks like you at school, minus Sango and Kohaku." Sesshoumaru sighed inwardly, but remained passive on the outside.

He said nothing, which frustrated Kagome. "Look you passive-aggressive ice block," she hissed, "a little emotion once in a while never killed anyone! The least you could do is,"

"'Gome! I'm ready to continue our little argument!" Karei called in her falsetto.

Kagome narrowed her eyes at Sesshoumaru. "Pack up your things, now." She said quietly, exiting the tent. "I'm not staying with her all week, and I'm not taking care of the android myself."

Sesshoumaru made no motions to argue, just let the baby begin to crawl around and started tossing the baby's things in the diaper bag and then getting the baby ready for travel. He couldn't just let her take care of the baby herself anyway; because that meant that he wouldn't get a grade at all.

Already his grade would be lower because she'd taken care of the baby Friday night alone. Since it was nippy out, he put the baby's coat on and wrapped him in his baby blanket. That done, he quickly stuck the baby in the car seat and began to pack up his slightly scattered things, his journal, and sketchbook, everything he had, and finally put his sweatshirt on, shouldering his backpack.

Kagome stared at Karei, a ghost of a smile creasing her face. "Aww, is widdle Karei scared?" She asked as Sesshoumaru began to crawl out of the tent. "Everyone should feel bad for Karei, because Karei has to have her way always!"

Karei let tears fall from her eyes, hoping that Kagome would give in to staying. When she saw Sesshoumaru getting ready to go, though, that was when it seemed to get personal. "You can't take Sess"

"Oh, can't I? Well here's a news flash that'll bring the bitch from Hell down to earth again! I can do whatever I want!" Kagome told her. "You can't stop me!" Kagome pointed to the rabbit, still lying on the ground. She'd taken the arrow out of it and replaced it in her quiver.

"You can have the rabbit. Good luck getting another one. I'd ration your food for the week." Kagome turned heel and quickly moved towards Sesshoumaru, grabbing the diaper bag from him. "Let's go." She led him away before Karei could retaliate.

* * *

The next two days were the same. Kagome and Sesshoumaru were silent unless talking to the child so it learned speech, tending to the needs of the child/android in turns. Akira grew taller and stronger and developed more, constantly jabbering and walking beside Kagome and Sesshoumaru, wanting to hold their hands, asking why his 'mama' and 'papa' didn't hold hands too.

Neither initiated conversation, neither did anything to make the other want to initiate a conversation. Then on the third day, it started to rain. Sesshoumaru had packed up the tent while Kagome had been arguing, so they had that for when it started to rain.

"Awe man." Kagome said, getting drenched as she and Sesshoumaru struggled to put up the tent together in the rain. The poles kept slipping out of their fingers as they tried to put it up. "Akira," Kagome called to the child standing as much out of the rain as he could.

She had given up on calling him an android because he threw a fit when she said that and would say 'I'm real! My name is Akira!'. Since he had matured to the point already that he was about three years old, she figured it was high time he started learning to help out.

"Yes, Mama?" Akira called over the rain. He huddled as far under the tree as he could, not wanting to get wet.

"Come here and hold this!" Akira began to cry, but Kagome was firm in her decision. Sesshoumaru wanted to tell him he didn't have to, but when he opened his mouth, she sent him a glare that shut him up immediately. "Now."

Sobbing, Akira trudged over, getting soaked in the meanwhile as he held a pole for his 'mama'. "Mama, I'm getting cold and wet!" he cried.

Kagome quickly slid the last pole in, ignoring Akira's cries. "All done." Sesshoumaru told Akira when they were finished. "Get those wet clothes off and go on in."

Shivering, Akira nodded, his teeth chattering and his lips blue. "Okay..." He began to strip off his clothes, drenched down to the core, and then, stark naked, he rushed into the tent. "Mama, where is my new shirt?" He screamed through the walls of the tent.

Kagome groaned. "Nevermind! I found it!" It was amazing how well he could talk being just matured enough for a three year old in body but in his mind it was like a five or six year old.

"Turn around, jerk face." She said. "I'm going in first." Sesshoumaru sighed visibly, though the thunder blocked out the sound. He turned around, no intention to watch her undress. After a moment, he heard her enter the tent, so he began to undress.

"Ok, I'm dressed!" she called out through the tent. Sesshoumaru figured she probably turned around, so he entered the tent and (seeing he was right, she did turn around) quickly dressed.

"Okay." Sesshoumaru muttered, relaxing in the semi-large tent.

Akira climbed onto Sesshoumaru's lap, looking up at his father figure. "Papa, how come you and mama don't kiss?" he asked innocently.

Kagome laughed bitterly and waggled a finger at Akira. "Well, that's easy, Akira. Because Sesshoumaru and I hate each other's guts!"

Akira cocked his head like a curious puppy, his silver and black hair soaked to his head. "Mama, will you kiss papa, please?"

Kagome shook her head. "He's a rich boy, see?" Kagome said. "I'm not. So we can't kiss 'cause we know we wouldn't like that!"

Sesshoumaru thought, Maybe you might not, but I think I would. He said nothing though, keeping his thoughts to himself.

"Please, mama? Just one time?" Akira begged. "You made me get all wet, so will you please?"

Kagome began to roll out her blanket. "No, Akira. No means no. I won't have you turning out spoiled like Sesshoumaru!"

Akira sighed. "I just want to see my mama and papa get along." He said. "You yell at each other and if you kiss you'll specially love each other! Just like Akira loves mama and papa."

Kagome laughed at the thought. "Akira, things don't happen that way. Besides, Sesshoumaru is engaged, so he can't kiss anyone except Karei."

Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped to Kagome's lithe form as she unfolded her blankets. "Who told you that?" He asked both anger and curiosity apparent in his voice.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Who do you think, you brain dead monkey crap. Your FIANCEE told me." Her tone was bitter as she remembered what Karei had told her that day back in Gym a week after Sesshoumaru had moved there.

"Mama what's a fiancée?" Akira said, rolling the word around on his tongue to test it out.

Sesshoumaru growled. "She never was and never will be my fiancée!" He yelled. "I don't know why you'd believe her about something like that!"

Kagome rolled her eyes again. "It isn't like you really give any reason not to believe it. She hangs all over you like a fly on fly trap tape! And you allow it too."

"MAMA WHATS A FIANCEE!" Akira yelled, but Kagome ignored him again.

"Just you try telling me she isn't your bride-to-be! She's got her name etched into your rear end so hard that there isn't any room for anything else!"

"There's no way I'd ever lower myself to marrying a skank like her!" Sesshoumaru yelled over the thunder.

Kagome felt her heart burst in hearing his words. "Ooh so we agree on something: Karei _is_ a skank!"

"Mama, Papa, stop yelling!" Akira sobbed, not liking Kagome and Sesshoumaru fighting.

"She still claims you as hers though." Kagome bit out.

Sesshoumaru growled his frustration. "I'm not hers! She clings to me like a horny leech and in a display of mass hormones throws herself on me! What am I supposed to do, smack her away? I'm sorry to break it to you, I don't hit girls!"

Kagome smirked, her voice quiet. "I do though."

"I can't say you don't, because I've seen you do it before." Sesshoumaru said his voice lowering. Akira was sobbing into Sesshoumaru's shirt. Sesshoumaru began to comfort the tiny tot. He began to wonder why he couldn't find it in him to hate Kagome for all she'd just said.

So, he... really isn't Karei's? Kagome thought. I got all emotional over nothing? Awe man, that sucks!

"Mama, please kiss papa and make things all better?" Akira sobbed.

Kagome sighed. She didn't want Akira to feel bad about their little shouting match, but she also didn't want to... okay, that was a lie, she wanted to kiss him very badly, to see if he was any better at kissing than Kohaku or Miroku, both of whom she'd kissed before. "Fine," she said, "Sesshoumaru, don't move."

Sesshoumaru couldn't move anyway. He'd frozen to the spot when she'd said fine, his mouth going instantly dry. Kagome leaned across the small distance to him, grabbing the back of his neck and pulling his face closer to plant a soft, gentle kiss on his lips.

Her intention had been just to peck a kiss on his lips, but somehow as though sensing the immediate danger that his body would get squashed if he didn't move, Akira was no longer a boundary between the two and Sesshoumaru and Kagome were moving closer to deepen the kiss.

So much emotion passed into Kagome through the kiss. Years of pent up emotions, anger, spite, lust. Kagome had never known Sesshoumaru, her 'Ice Prince', could have so much emotion locked away.

The two didn't need to part for air because they were skillful enough to breathe through their noses, but Akira's voice threw them apart again, both parties of the kiss blushing redder than a tomato.

"Mama, Papa, do you love each other now?"

Blushing, Kagome shook her head. "Like I said, Akira, it takes more than one kiss to make someone love another. You need trust, respect, and lots of other things too."

"Oh... Papa, are you in love with mama?"

Kagome frowned. She didn't want to hear the answer, knowing it was no. "Akira, lie down and go to sleep. You've asked too many questions!" She didn't want to admit it, but she still had a crush on him from that first time she'd seen him.

"But mama!" Akira complained. "It's still light out! I don't want to go to bed!"

Sesshoumaru was thankful that he was saved from having to answer that question. He hated lying to people, even though he could lie to himself.

"Akira, just lay down and go to sleep. If you go to sleep early, you can get up early and by the time you wake up the storm should be over." Sesshoumaru told him, carefully looking at Akira and not Kagome. In his peripheral vision he could see her gingerly setting herself down on her blankets. She winced and ground her teeth but was lying down soon.

Akira pouted, but Kagome gave him a stern look that he saw through the last of the light coming through the tents thin walls. "That's enough, Akira." She told him humorlessly. "Either you lay down, or I'll hold you down. Your choice."

Kagome remembered her own mother used to say that when it was bed time. That was when Kagome and Souta shared a room with their mother. At age twelve and thirteen they were given their own rooms so their mother no longer made that threat.

Akira quickly grabbed his baby blanket from his water-proof diaper bag and curled up in it as far away from Kagome as he could get. "I don't like you, mama." He sobbed, sticking his head under his blanket.

Kagome smiled. "That's fine, Akira. You don't have to." She turned on her stomach. It was far too painful to continue lying on her back.

Sesshoumaru moved until he was lying on his back in between Kagome and Akira. The tent wasn't all that small, but then again, it wasn't all that big, so the three's shoulders rubbed together. The small contact between him and Kagome, however unintentional it was, made his heart beat faster and his stomach flutter.

After several long moments of silence, Akira said quietly, "I love you mama. I'm sorry..."

Kagome chuckled. "Its fine, Akira."

"Goodnight, mama and papa; fall in love when I'm sleeping."

"Goodnight." Both Kagome and Sesshoumaru said at the same time.

* * *

In the morning, just as Sesshoumaru had predicted, the rain had stopped. Since no one else was awake, Kagome quietly, carefully picked her way out of the tent so as not to wake anyone. She took the sopping mess of clothes from where they had put them in the corner of the tent and grabbed her wet backpack, exiting the tent.

Looking around, she found she liked where they had stopped. They hadn't noticed really the evening before because it was so stormy and all they wanted to do was get the tent up and get inside it, but the clearing they stopped in was about fifteen feet in diameter.

They had set the tent up close to the tree line on one side; on the other side were a small creek and a decent area that would be ideal for a small fire. Immediately she recognized the area, even though there were no defining objects or items.

They were about a fifty foot distance from a hot spring, and when she remembered the map, she could recall that there was a Port potty at that hot spring as well.

Walking over to the creek, she knelt down on the moist ground and set her things beside her. Taking the first piece of clothing from the pile, she blushed looking at them.

She was holding a pair of the finest silk black boxers, but what was embarrassing about it was that they were Sesshoumaru's. Tossing aside the fact that they were Sesshoumaru's underwear, she set to work washing them with the 'environmentally friendly' soap.

She washed all Sesshoumaru's clothes, hers, and Akira's, stringing a piece of yarn from her backpack (she's well prepared for this type of thing, knowing what she needed) between two trees and hanging the clothes on them. When she ran out of room on that branch, she put them on a new piece of yarn strung between two trees behind the first.

When she was done with that, she took off her tank top, since her bra was a bikini top. Her back hurt too much to continue being pressured by the shirt. She washed the shirt, hung it up, and went to see if either Akira or Sesshoumaru were awake. It was still fairly early, so she didn't expect them to be.

"Sess—" she started, but stopped when she saw him. He seemed so peaceful in his sleep. The kiss the night before made her wonder about him. She carefully picked her way around the tent so as not to wake him, peering down at his sleeping form. She'd started to wonder if everything he did was just a façade the night he and Inuyasha had slept at her house.

Carefully she traced his cheekbone where she knew the stripe marks would be under whatever he used to hide his traits. She wondered why everyone did that now, hid behind masks. It wasn't like demons weren't accepted really... well; maybe they were shunned in a small town like Sunset, but the majority of the populous of Earth accepted them.

A hand enclosed around Kagome's wrist, holding her hand tightly in place. She was momentarily surprised. She'd been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn't realized Sesshoumaru had woke up.

His golden orbs stared up at her groggily and they kept slipping closed but he'd open them quickly; as though he was having trouble staying awake.

Sesshoumaru peered through heavy lidded eyes at Kagome, his lips curving up in a smile. "Hello..." He said sleepily. "What a nice face to wake up to..."

Kagome blushed, but he didn't see. His grip on her wrist loosened and his hand fell to his side again, his eyes shutting once more. He was sleeping again. Looking at Akira, she saw he was just waking up, so she removed her hand from Sesshoumaru's cheek, smirking.

God, how I hate rich boys... She thought deviously, forming what she'd tell the little boy in her head.

Akira sat up, yawning and rubbing his eyes. "Mama, I'm hungry." The boy informed her, and she smiled at him.

"Wake up Sesshoumaru and he can make you some breakfast. But be careful, he might not wake up if you don't jump on him and scream in his ear, 'cause he's a heavy sleeper!"

The boy nodded eagerly. "Okay!" He quickly moved out of his blanket and jumped on Sesshoumaru, "PAPA! Wake up! Mama said you'll make me breakfast!" he shouted.

Sesshoumaru grunted each time Akira jumped on him. "Kag...ome...you...jerk..." He swore.

Kagome laughed. "That's me!" She smirked.

Sesshoumaru grabbed Akira and pulled the child off of him, "I have a secret to tell you, Akira." He said, sending a glare at Kagome.

Excited to hear a secret, the child bounced on his heels and put his ear right by Sesshoumaru's mouth. Sesshoumaru whispered something in Akira's ear and the boy smiled happily. "Okay!" He said. "I can do that!" Akira left the tent, his tiny voice heard nearby as he ran around outside the tent doing whatever Sesshoumaru had told him to do.

Sesshoumaru sat up, grabbing Kagome's wrist when she made a move to leave the tent as well. He placed himself blocking her way to the door, which in a tent was fairly easy to do.

"What's your problem?" He demanded quietly. His eyes flashed with anger and frustration as he looked at her, his mind slow to register her nearly bare top, covered only with a string bikini. "What do you have against me?"

Kagome scowled. "Why do you care? It isn't like you'll be talking to me after this week!" She tried to peel her wrist from his grip, but he was stronger than she was and she couldn't loosen it.

He reached out and grabbed her other wrist, pulling her hands apart and staring at her, his anger rising at her venomous tone of voice. He didn't like her talking to him like that. He wanted her to be nicer to him, and shower him with affections.

In other words, he wanted her to act like one of his stupid fan girls, so that he could see that she was no better than anyone else in his school and his crush on her would go away. "Just tell me! Why aren't you like everyone else? Why can't you just be like...like... Karei or something so that-"

He was thankful that she interrupted him then, or else he might have admitted his crush on her, but at the same time he was angry at her for interrupting him. "Shut up." She told him, her voice laced with annoyance. "I'm not like everyone else because I choose to be different!"

Sesshoumaru knew that his like for her just grew and it irritated him. "Just be like,"

"What, and fawn over you? Or your brother, or Hiten, or anyone else like you? As if I'd lower myself to your standards!" She snapped at him, trying to get him to let go of her. He had a death grip on her wrists though, and it didn't seem like she'd be free any time soon. "I like the way I am, and I'm staying this way. If you can't handle it then just back off."

Sesshoumaru growled his frustration. "I'm not"

"Mama! Papa! Help!" Akira's panicky voice came through the thin tent walls, startling both 'parents'.

"Crap!" Both said, quickly exiting the tent. Once out, they looked around for Akira, seeing him backed up against a tree with four boys surrounding him.

"Akira!" Kagome yelled. "Hey, you, leave him alone!" She said, walking over to where the boys were surrounding Akira.

One of the boys turned to face Kagome, a startled look on his face that quickly turned to a cocky grin when he saw who it was. "Hell's Bitch, how are you?" He asked his voice laced with hatred and scorn.

Kagome scowled, seeing who it was. "Medallion, what the fuck are you doing here?"

"Why, I'm on a school field trip of course." He said snobbily.

Akira started sobbing, having nowhere to move to without running into a 'bad person'. "Mama, he said he was gonna hurt me!"

"So, Hell's Bitch, you had the child at last?" Medallion continued, acting as though Akira had not spoken. "Where is Ichiro?"

"What the hell would you care where he is? Move aside so Akira can come here, or else, Medallion."

"Because, shouldn't the father of your child be around? I know you spread your legs for him fairly quickly." Medallion sneered, not moving an inch. "How much did he pay you? I'd triple it."

A new voice, behind Kagome and Sesshoumaru, came into the clearing. "What are you implying, Medallion, that my sister is a whore?" Souta's voice rang through the clearing his anger apparent.

Kagome smiled. If Souta was there, so would the rest of her friends be. "Move aside, Medallion, and let Akira pass."

Medallion smirked confidently. "Ichiro, how was she? I'm sure the rest of us want to know."

Kohaku's laughter rang through the clearing. "Ye can nay understand thy beauty of sex until ye learn for ye self the sweet tingling senses of thy appealing body of a goddess called"

Kagome groaned and slapped her palm to her forehead. Unfortunately, Kohaku had a big mouth and a twisted sense of humor. "You can shut up now Trip!" Kagome snapped at the ten month younger boy. She hoped Medallion couldn't make sense of what Kohaku had been saying.

Sesshoumaru tried to make sense of everything all at once. Medallion, the boy who had forced Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha to switch schools so long ago, knew Kagome, and vice versa.

Kagome didn't very much like Medallion, that much was crystal clear from the hatred in her voice towards him, and Medallion seemed to hate her too, though there was something in his eyes as he looked at Kagome that didn't seem to fit with the whole hate thing.

Medallion was suggesting that Kagome had been pregnant at one time and Ichiro was the father, Medallion seemed to have in mind that Akira was the child. Kohaku's words, however strange they were arranged, seemed to imply that he had indeed had sex with Kagome, and Kagome's tone of voice seemed to... wait... that meant that Kagome wasn't a virgin?

Sesshoumaru sighed. So much for the thought of her being nothing if not pure, because she's certainly not pure if she's had sex before. I wonder how many others she's had sex with...

Medallion seemed to notice Sesshoumaru for the first time, and he looked from Sesshoumaru to Akira and back again. "Hmm..." He said thoughtfully, coming to reside on a decision in his head. "So it seems Hell's Bitch has more lovers than one..."

Kagome slapped her forehead several times with the palm of her hand. "You jerk, I have no lovers!" she yelled as Souta, Miroku, Sango, and Kohaku moved to be level with Kagome.

Medallion reached Kagome's side before her friends could though. "Good, then you won't mind." He said, grabbing both her wrists in his hands tightly before she could react, holding onto her just above the bell bracelets, and pulling her close to him, swooping to kiss her.

Furious, Kagome knew with her arms held behind her back as they were she wouldn't be able to free those unless she gave him some incentive to loosen his grip. He bit her lip hard until she opened her mouth and before she could cry out in pain, his tongue filled her mouth, muffling the sound.

Without Medallion in the way, Akira ran to Sesshoumaru, hugging his leg and sobbing quietly. "Papa, why is mama kissing a bad man?" He asked.

Tension was high in the clearing and a single second seemed like ten minutes. Kagome struggled to free her hands as a decoy movement to hide the fact from him that she was lining her leg up to knee him. She did and he let out a surprised gasp as pain settled in his lower body region.

"Ow..." He groaned, releasing her to favor covering his nuts and falling to his knees before her.

She sucked on her lip for a moment, feeling blood pool her mouth from where he'd bit her lip. She spit the blood on him. "Now that that's finished," she started, kicking him in the jaw. He fell to the side and she continued, kneeling down next to him.

"You'll be glad to know I definitely won't be giving you what you want. That tasted like sandpaper made out of vomit."

Kohaku walked up to Medallion and kicked the older boy in the gut. "Don't touch her again!" He said, not bothering to hide the jealousy in his voice. He hated anyone who dared to touch Kagome in such a way.

Miroku got away with it only because he got punished by Kagome personally and because Kohaku knew that Miroku harbored no feelings for Kagome at all. Sure, Medallion got punished by Kagome as well, but it was personal now, and apparent that Medallion harbored some sort of feeling for Kagome. "She's mine!"

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened marginally at that statement. What does he mean?

Kagome looked at Akira who was clutching Sesshoumaru's pant leg like a life line. "You okay, Akira?" She asked.

Akira looked at her, his cheeks red from crying. He looked like he wanted to run to Kagome to be hugged and assured that everything would be alright, but she was by Medallion, so he held himself back. He nodded, sniffling. "I'm okay, but the bad man said he was going to hurt me so I was scared."

Kagome stood, looking scornfully down at Medallion. "Get the fuck out of my face, Medallion." When he didn't respond, she looked to his friends who were watching wide-eyed. "Get him out of here, now."

His friends scrambled to comply, dragging their leader away. Kohaku looked at Kagome. "You okay, babe?" He whispered gently.

Kagome smirked. "Yeah. Fine." She said, shrugging off his concern and turning to look at her other friends. She smiled at Sango, Rin, and Kikyou. Kikyou's little baby girl android was clutching her 'mother's' hand tight in her own. "I'm going to go take a bath at the hotspring. You guys want to come?"

Sango readily agreed and suddenly the heavy atmosphere lifted. "Heck yeah! I smell like a dirty sock!"

"Mama, can I come? I'm all dirty too!" Akira complained, still sniffling slightly.

Kagome shook her head. "You can go with Sesshoumaru." She said as she and the rest of the girls disappeared into the trees.

Kohaku grinned at Miroku as Souta grabbed the back of the lecherous boy's shirt. "Hey, Perv, they'll beat you to a pulp and drink you with their orange juice if you follow them." Souta pointed out. "So you might as well just stop right there."

Miroku sighed. "Damn." He said, snapping his fingers in disappointment. Then he grinned and looked slyly at Kohaku. "So, Trip, did you and 'Gome get back together or something and not tell anyone else? Or what's the deal?"

Kohaku shrugged. "Last time I checked, the two of us were still separated." He said. "Though, you can blame your father for that." The second sentence was aimed at Souta, though the bitterness that came with it was all for Naraku.

Sesshoumaru looked at Kohaku with mild interest betraying his emotionless façade. "Why is it that you are not acting like you normally do?"

Again, Kohaku just shrugged. Souta laughed and explained, "Because he's a drama queen."

Miroku began sneaking in the direction the girls had taken and Akira pointed at him. "Mr. Perv is leaving! Mr. Perv is leaving!"

Kohaku and Souta both rolled their eyes as Miroku froze in his place. "I'm not leaving... hehe...no, not at all!" He tried to say, but Souta, who was closer, punched Miroku lightly on the arm.

"Cut it out, Perv. Those are four girls you don't want to get on the bad side of. You already know what Kagome and Sango and Rin'll do, and the way Kikyou's treated you so far, it's quite clear she'll do the same."

Miroku laughed hesitantly. "I really wasn't... I was... um... going to get firewood! Yeah... firewood..."

Kohaku sat down. "Sure... we believe you..." He drawled. "And Kagome's dad doesn't have a new whore every night in his bed, your mom doesn't beat the crap out of you, and my dad isn't madly in love with Kagome's mom."

Souta scowled, slumping down. It was as though Sesshoumaru wasn't even there, or else they'd forgotten that he was. "Dude, that jerk can go to hell. It's surprising that 'Gome still has skin on her back after all that."

Miroku had an equally displeased look on his face as he sat down. "Yeah, it is a surprise. But what's even more surprising is that she puts up with it. She's not usually one to lay down for a beating."

"But good news!" Souta said brightly, a smile on his face. "Kagome has an interview for an apartment next Monday!"

Sesshoumaru was surprised to hear all of this. He would never have believed it if he hadn't heard it himself.

Kohaku muttered, "But you'll still be there."

"Kagome deserves the break." Souta countered, running his hands through his hair, his blue eyes glinting.

"Miroku what are you looking at?"

"A goddess..." The dazed boy whispered feverishly, before a tiny dart zipped past Kohaku's ear and embedded in the perverted boy's neck.

Almost instantly, Miroku slumped to the ground and four more darts zipped out of the trees, embedding in each person's neck skillfully, though since he was an android, Akira was not affected by the poison on the dart and remained conscious.

Akira cried at the pain in his neck as the dart pierced his 'skin'. He looked towards where the 'goddess' was and saw a scary lady giving him a creepy smile.

The lady wore almost nothing on her person except a bikini that was pink. Long raven black hair flowed down to her hips, two clumps falling gracefully over her shoulders. Her skin was a perfect golden color, as though the color was painted there, and her eyes were so dark brown that they were almost black.

She had a sharp, regal pointed nose, high cheekbones, full red lips, and almost catlike eyes. She was about five feet six, shorter than Sesshoumaru, but taller than Kagome. She had a very devious look on her face as she walked over to Akira, grabbing him and stuffing him in a sack that a masked man who walked into the clearing gave her.

"Ahh! Mama! Papa!" He screamed. "Help me!" However, his voice was not loud enough to carry the distance to the hotspring with it being muffled through the bag, and Sesshoumaru was knocked out by whatever the poison was on the dart.

With Akira in the bag, the clearing was soon swamped with masked men who picked up the four boys and carried them away.

"Hurry up and get them to the vans with the rest of the kids." The woman said her beautiful voice musical and seductive. "I want those girls as well. The ransom from all these kids will buy me half of Earth." It seemed unnatural that a woman could be so cold yet so beautiful, but considering Karei was, it was clear that it was possible.

"Yes ma'am." One of the masked men said. "What do you want to do with the android?"

The woman shrugged. "Toss it in the back of the van with the rest of them. After all, I'm sure daddy wouldn't approve if dear Sesshoumaru got a bad grade, now would he?" The woman gave an unladylike snort, her almost black eyes burning with anger.

"Well..." she muttered to herself as the masked men went about their chores, "daddy will just have to pay the ransom, won't he? I'm sure he'll want his cherished sons back."

Like he wanted his daughter back? The thought came to the woman fast and it was like a slap in the face. She stood there, bristling at the thought. He'd better, or else I will shoot both boys and blow their brains through the wall of the warehouse.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kagome, Kikyou, Sango, Rin, and Gin Hana (Kikyou's baby girl android) were at the hot spring, chatting as they relaxed in the water. The hot spring was shaped like a large 'o' with giant rocks to sit on near the edge.

The water of the hot spring went as far up as the four older girls' waist (or in Rin's case since she was smaller to her rib cage) if they stood in the water.

Sitting on the rocks in the water, the water went far up enough to cover their chests, keeping them out of sight. Gin Hana, who was tinier than the rest of them, sat on the largest boulder and was very careful not to fall off of it or else she'd risk drowning. The water on her went to her stomach.

Kagome looked at Sango with a sly grin on her face. "So, how is it being practically alone with Miroku, no real supervision?"

Sango blushed furiously, an angry glint in her eye. "The lecher! This morning, I woke up and found he had somehow made his way into my tent in the middle of the night, and his face was buried in my chest! Oh he makes me so mad!" With each emphasized word, Sango slapped her balled up fist on the water, splashing Gin Hana who giggled.

"Sango is funny!" Gin Hana said. "Sango make Gin Hana waf!"

Kagome grinned at Gin Hana's speech but said nothing about it. It appeared that it depended on how the child was raised for them to develop a certain way. Akira was raised so far to think about everything he did and to use proper speech.

Gin Hana was raised to be a properly speech 'impediment' three year old, even though she was barely four days old. It was considerably unnatural for a child to grow so quickly, but Gin Hana and Akira were not real children, they were androids, though it was hard to keep it in mind.

Sango laughed and flicked a tiny wave at the little android. "Gin Hana, you're so adorable!"

Rin settled herself into the water last out of all the girls, only undressing and getting in when she was sure the other girls weren't looking. She didn't want them to see the bruises that were littered on her body, and especially not the bite marks on her chest.

There would be too many questions. '...for they are committing a sin to ye and ye must punish unwanted sins...' Kohaku's words still rang in Rin's head, yet she still had not found the energy when the time came to punish the unwanted sins.

However, Kagome –whose eyes seemed to see everything and nothing at all at every time- saw the 'bite' marks. "Rin, where did you get those bite marks?" She questioned.

Rin covered her breasts, embarrassed and ashamed. "They're nothing, Miss Kagome..." She said, reverting to being overly-respective.

Sango and Kikyou turned to the slightly younger girl, seeing the barest trace of bite marks on Rin's chest, just under where she held her arms. "It looks like something to me." Sango said her voice slightly peeved now. "Who did this?" Of course Sango would worry over her friend.

Kagome blinked, opening her eyes and looking around the dim room she was in. The room was drafty which made it inevitably cold, and obviously very dark. Lining one wall was a high row of large crates, stacked to what was obviously the roof.

Lining another wall was scattered equipment of sorts; welding equipment, metal scraps, long iron rods and short shafts made of copper and steel. Three industrial sized garage doors took up almost but not quite an entire wall - 'industrial sized' being a phrase which here means something along the lines of 'large enough to easily allow room for a Semi trailer to be backed in through.'

Kagome could only rightly assume that she was in a warehouse but how she got there she wasn't sure because the last place she remembered being was at the hot springs with her girlfriends.

Her neck felt really sore for some reason and try though she might, she couldn't figure out why. She felt as though she'd just gotten a shot but could distinctly remember the last time she'd gotten a shot was months ago to give blood and that was in the arm, no neck.

Looking around again she tilted her neck to the side, cracking it one way and then did the same thing for the other way.

She could feel her arms were tied behind her, and her feet were tied together, but she could still move for the most part. Why she was all tied up was the main question on her mind at the moment.

Turning her head she saw a line of dark shadowed bodies, all looking to be in the same state of duress that she was in, a phrase which here means unlawfully tied up or restrained for some odd as of yet unknown reason. The only difference that she could see being that she had no blindfold on. Upon closer examination she saw that her blindfold had fallen off.

She felt a sick feeling rising in the pit of her gut; the kind of feeling you only get when you know something bad is about to happen. It was a feeling she immediately disliked. There was also a putrid scent in the air that caught in her throat, making her feel sick to her stomach and wanting to vomit.

"What's going on here?" She wondered aloud. Moments later one of the large industrial sized garage doors opened up and Kagome saw a Semi backing up into the warehouse.

The loud noise of the semi woke up most of the dark shadowed bodies lying on the ground tied up and they tried to look around and see where they were and what was making that noise, but they were unsuccessful because the blindfolds were tied firmly to their faces.

Masked men got out of the cab of the truck and Kagome watched as they opened the back of the trailer up and even more masked men (or women, Kagome couldn't really tell gender) began to pick up the dark shadowed bodies whom Kagome had deducted to be the students who had been on the field trip and take them into the back of the truck.

"I donno, all this trippin' round is makin' me dizzy." One man's voice rang out as he picked up a struggling student. "Why can't we jus' collect our ransoms now?"

Kagome blinked as she was picked up and put in the back of the trailer next to another student who she saw had silver hair. It was either Inuyasha then or Sesshoumaru. She realized her bareness then. They, as in the kidnappers, probably hadn't dressed her after getting her from the hot spring. She easily located who else in the trailer were not dressed and identified by hair length and the way it was done who they were.

Sango was at the very back of the trailer, Kikyou was near the middle with Rin next to her. She was glad they were safe at least.

More of the students were put into the back of the semi trailer, some awake to deduce that they were being kidnapped and were either struggling to get away or to afraid to do much but be a dead weight, and some still unconscious.

"Blindfold that one back up." Kagome heard an angry woman's voice say. "Make it quick boys. I want to be out of this dump soon before the pigs arrive. And shut them up before they attract more attention!" The kidnappers put tape over the mouths of some of the screaming students.

Kagome guessed she was talking about the cops. She tried not to let them blindfold her, and as a result the blindfold was slightly loose so once the back to the trailer was closed and all the kidnappers muffled voices had disappeared, she used the person's shoulder next to her to get the blindfold off again.

"Hey, are you awake?" she said to the person next to her and they nodded. As the truck started up and shifted in movement, she shifted her body and reached up to grab hold of the blindfold with her teeth, helping him get it off.

It was Inuyasha who she sat by. She painfully dislocated her thumbs so that the ropes slid off her hands and then pushed them back into place. Of course, the pain was hardly anything compared to pain she had felt before. She took off the bindings from her legs. "Turn so I can get your ropes off." She told him.

"Why are you helping me?" He asked gruffly. "Why don't you just get your friends and go?"

Kagome sighed. "Because, stupid, I'm trying to be nice. Do you want to be kidnapped by some insane psychopathic freaks who might kill you in the end?" He blinked at her, probably suddenly realizing her naked body, and unconsciously gave her a once-over.

"Quit staring." She said, "Or the only thing you'll stare at for the rest of your miserable life will be the top of your coffin."

He turned and she made quick work of the bindings on his hands, then he rubbed his sore wrists for a moment. "Any clue where we're going?" He quickly untied his feet.

"No, but I knew the warehouse we were in. I need some clothes." She made absolutely no sound as she went along the line of people, her bells probably still at the hot spring, taking off blindfolds and untying hands, slapping anyone who stared at her figure for too long. Inuyasha might have given her his sweatshirt, but he didn't have it with him. He'd lost it somewhere.

Kagome found out that most of the people in the bouncing semi were still unconscious, but after the third person, a female even, reached out and groped her, she angrily stopped trying to help them. "Here." She heard a male voice say.

Sesshoumaru handed her his sweatshirt which was large enough to cover her bare body. He was blushing, but it mostly went unnoticed. Kagome took it from him and put it on, much to the disappointment of some of the people.

Kagome found her friends and made quick work of unbinding them, Souta, Miroku, and Kohaku all taking off either their sweatshirt or their plain shirt to give to Rin, Sango, and Kikyou.

Sesshoumaru, Kagome noticed, sat by Inuyasha. Inuyasha had only helped Sesshoumaru. "You know this is annoying." Kagome said. "I've got my period and now nothing to catch it."

Kikyou blushed embarrassedly. "I don't know why they kidnapped me; my grandmother won't negotiate with kidnappers."

Sango shrugged. "My father won't either, but at least your grandmother is the mayor of Sunset and has a reason to refuse to negotiate. My father just flat out dislikes terrorist negotiations, and he feels that kidnappers are terrorists."

Kohaku sighed heavily. "Mine eyes have seen thy beautiful body, Kikyou, and it was good...but so hast the eyes of several others." He seemed actually depressed.

Kikyou blushed even deeper wishing the shirt was larger and longer. "Kohaku!"

Kohaku grinned then, his mood lightening. "Ah, but I also got to see the most precious pearl, Hell's Bitch."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "In the event that we are being kidnapped, I am forced to put up with you, Trip, but rest assured that I will make use of my fists when we get back to Sunset."

Miroku, surprisingly, had yet to say anything lecherous. "How do you know we are not in Sunset?"

"Yeah, 'Gome, how can you know that?" Souta asked curiously.

"Because that was Medallion's warehouse, and we're heading due South. The only thing due South of Medallion's warehouse is-"

Medallion, who was nearby, finished for her, "The private airport by Keysville..."

Rin was near completely covered by the shirt of Miroku's. It practically enveloped her tiny form. "Airport? Are they taking us on a plane?" She sounded much more than a little scared.

Kagome glanced at Medallion. "No one was talking to you." She turned to Rin but didn't know what to say. There was plenty that she could say, but she had to admit that she was also rather frightened. Who would have thought that they'd get kidnapped while on a school field trip?

After an hour, there seemed nothing left to do but sit quietly. They were still moving. Everyone was untied now, and small arguments had broken out amongst the students, created through the tension that they were getting kidnapped.

Kagome had counted sixty four kids who'd been kidnapped. That had been as many who'd gone on the field trip to begin with. She figured it must have been very thought out for a group of sixty four students to be kidnapped at once.

Then, all at once, Kagome felt like vomiting, her head spun, and she felt dizzy and sick to her stomach. She felt an indescribable pain in her chest that brought tears to her eyes.

It hurts so much! She thought, the tears dripping down her face and her body seizing up. She began to shake terribly, hitting the back of her head against the wall of the semi trailer. I just want the pain to stop! That was the last coherent thought she could get out.

"Kagome!" Souta cried, worried. Something like this had never happened before. Granted, Kagome often hit her head on things when she was bored but never as hard as she was doing now.

It was too noisy and dark in the semi trailer for attention to be brought to Kagome unless you were right there next to her. Souta, fearing for Kagome, grabbed her and held her shoulders steady. "Kagome! Stop it!"

"What's going on?" Miroku asked. He peered around Kohaku to see, Kohaku looking as well. Sango turned her head towards Kagome, and Rin and Kikyou gasped, watching Kagome abuse herself.

"I don't know!" Souta said.

Kohaku and Sango, being the closest, grabbed Kagome's legs, helping hold her steady. In doing so, she ended pretty well pinned to the floor of the trailer, eventually ending up with all five of her friends holding her down until she could finally relax, falling into a state of unconsciousness.

"What just happened?" Kikyou breathed. No one answered. No one could. No one knew the answer. It was an unanswerable question because there were ultimately thousands of possibilities of what it could have been. Souta held Kagome in his arms tightly; worry creased his brow.

He hated the thought that she just had a seizure of sorts. It was possible, but that meant that she was ill, and he didn't want her to be. His sister was strong. He was the weaker of the two of them. He should be the one ill.

When the truck stopped and the back opened, the sudden light shining into the truck blinded the students momentarily. When they could see again, each of them found themselves facing a masked person who held a gun to them.

"Get them into the uniforms." A voice snapped at the many masked persons. Fear swept through the students, whether they were part of a gang, like Medallion's gang and Kagome's gang, or if they were preppy teens who had never disobeyed anyone in their life. Kagome lay motionless in her brother's arms, unconscious and bleeding slightly from a knot in her head.

"Don't touch me!" Karei yelled, struggling to get away from the masked person's grip. Souta looked over towards his cousin.

"Karei, they've got guns, idiot!" He yelled. "Don't fight them or they probably won't hesitate to shoot your annoying butt!" When the masked person took Kagome from him, he growled, but held back from attacking, gritting his teeth together.

He and his friends were made to wear uniforms that were made out of gray wool, looking like the uniforms of an orphanage. After that, they got into several school busses that were waiting for them and half an hour later they were boarding a plane.

"I can't do this, I just can't!" Rin cried. She tried to get away but being so small; she had no luck and was just simply carried onto the plane.

The flight attendant looked at the man holding Rin. "Oh, my. Flight apprehension?" The man nodded. All the captors had taken off their masks so as to look less conspicuous.

Kohaku slipped nimbly out of his captor's sight and stood at Rin's side. "Come on, Rin." He said, grabbing her arm gently. He didn't want to see her getting hurt.

"Kohaku, I'm afraid..." Rin whispered. "The last time I was supposed to get on a plane, it crashed. I almost died!"

Kohaku put his arm around her shoulder, glaring momentarily at their captors. "It's going to be okay." He told her, but he himself could hardly believe it. Every one of the students knew that fighting would be fruitless. There were far too many men around with guns, having successfully gotten the weapons onto the plane.


	6. Sixth Chapter

When the tape was played for Kali, she burst into tears. Her children were kidnapped, somehow. She didn't have the kind of ransom money that these people were asking for.

Ten million dollars for each child. Sure it was a lot of money, but it wasn't that she was thinking her children were not worth the money. It was that she didn't have the money. Several other children from Sunset had been kidnapped as well.

The total was enormous; gathering into the sixties or seventies. All the students who had gathered for the field trip were missing.

Then, not only were her children kidnapped, she was getting sued because other people's children had gone missing while they were at her shrine. Her niece, Lea, was getting sued as well. It hadn't taken long for people to find someone to blame.

"Here, doc. Take this." The detective said, handing her a mug of coffee. He was a tall handsome man in his late thirties, divorced already but with a son.

He had black hair, slicked back, and was muscular, with pink lips, a well-rounded face with high cheekbones and dark brown eyes. Had she not been so distraught, Kali thought she might have found him striking, but she had not the time to think about men in such a manner when her children were missing.

The thought that she was married never came to mind. She hated Naraku and his abusive nature. She thought of him as little as possible.

She smiled brokenly at the detective. "Thank you." She whispered. She'd watched the tape over and over, but it was still hard to believe. Her whole shrine, even the sixteen mile garden, was the crime scene.

It would not have been all that hard for the kidnappers to get in to the garden and kidnap the children. They had left tracks in the dirt all over the shrine, and those vehicles had been found already in Sunset at a warehouse on the west side of town. There were traces of the children in the warehouse, but they had disappeared from there afterward.

"Doc, I know it's hard and everything, but you should go home. You need some rest." The detective told her.

She looked up at him. Shino Takai he had said his name was. "Who could rest at a time like this?" She asked him, and then looked away from him, standing slowly, but with a sturdy grip on her emotions now. She needed to be strong for her children. She could not break down. "Mr. Takai, please, find my children..." She whispered, but he heard her. Lord, please keep them safe.

Shino nodded. "We're doing our best." He told her. Anyone could see that this woman was hurting, perhaps more so than most of the other parents. Children of more wealthy families tended to be neglected, their parents 'too busy' to do anything for them or with them.

He watched as she left the room and then hurried out after her when she burst into tears outside the room. He put an arm around her shoulder, and allowed her to cry. That was the bad part of working on cases like this. He was the one who had to tell the parents the bad news.

At least he had yet to tell a parent that their child was dead. That was never pleasant, and he hated to do it. He hoped that this woman's children would be safe, but didn't dare let his hopes get too high.

When he saw her securely into the taxi, he moved back into his office, picking up the phone and calling Haru Nokugami. All the tapes had been sent to SPD or Sunset Police Department, in other words. With this new case and it so large, the entire department was swamped with work and backed up for weeks.

They had to take their real forces off the traffic department and put volunteers on it. Shino had been put immediately on the case, and he had not given a single argument. His own son, Medallion, had been kidnapped, and he wanted to find the aggressor and bring them to justice.

"Hello?" A voice came on the other end of the line. The voice was slurred, as though drunk. "You call in the middle of the night...my head...Sesshoumaru, come get the phone!" The person yelled.

Shino looked at the clock, then outside the window of his office, then again at the clock. It was three in the afternoon. His clock was not wrong, because the autumn sun shone brightly outside.

"Hello, I'm Shino Takai calling from the Sunset Police Department." Shino started. "Is Haru Nokugami around?"

"No. Call his cell." That was pretty much it for the conversation. Whoever that was, hung up on Shino. He sighed and hung his phone up, going into the records to see if they had a phone cell phone number where Haru could be reached. His eyes widened slightly when he saw a summary report in Haru's file.

It was a case that Shino had worked on ten years before. The mug-shot picture attached to the file was of a girl who looked to be about eight or nine years old. She had silver hair up in a ponytail with two clumps of hair left to frame her face.

She had gold eyes and pale skin, two identical green lines adorned her cheeks and a dark blue crescent shaped marking on her forehead. She had pointed ears and her eyes were angled. She was smiling, her fangs showing in that bright smile of hers.

He scanned the report under the picture.

Name: Nokugami, Yuri Sada 

Age: 9 

Classification: Demon 

Hair: Silver 

Eye: Gold/Yellow; changes green when upset 

Skin: Pale White 

Identifying Facial Marks: 2 green lines on each cheek; 1 blue crescent shaped marking on forehead 

Identifying Bodily Marks: 2 green lines on each wrist 

Kidnapped on Saturday, August 27, 2994 from Sunset PlayGround Park (West) at approximately 12:37. Witnesses say there was no struggle. A woman with long silver hair, who looked to be Yuri's mother came to the park while Yuri and her two brothers, Inuyasha Jiro Nokugami and Sesshoumaru Tamasine Nokugami were playing away from their sister, and left with the little girl. Two days later on Monday, August 29, 2994 SPD received a recorded video of the little girl, with the voice of a woman demanding ten million Martian dollars for the safe return of the girl. Haru Nokugami refused to pay the ransom. Yuri is suspected to still be alive. Body not found, no word of death. 

Suspects 

Name: Nokugami, Haru Kana 

Age: 36 

Classification: Demon 

Hair: Silver 

Eye: Gold/Yellow 

Skin: Pale White 

Identifying Facial Marks: None 

Identifying Bodily Marks: None 

Relation to victim: Father? 

Alibi: On business trip to France at the time of kidnapping 

Motive: Pays little attention to his children; could want them gone 

Notes: Showed no remorse that his child had just been kidnapped. Found that quite odd 

Name: Nokugami, Nekura Dai 

Age: 33 

Classification: Human 

Hair: Black 

Eye: Brown 

Skin: Tan/Brown 

Relation to victim: Stepmother 

Alibi: Getting drinks from drink stand in park. 

Motive: Seems to dislike daughter 

Notes: Laughed when told of missing child. Said "The brat deserved it." 

Name: Onigumo, Naraku Kyle 

Age: 30 

Classification: Half-demon 

Hair: Black 

Eye: Red 

Skin: Pale White 

Relation to victim: Failed business partner of Haru Nokugami 

Alibi: In bar at time of kidnapping 

Motive: Lost job in 2990; could still harbor aggression towards Haru Nokugami 

Notes: Said he had his own children to take care of, wouldn't need to kidnap another 

Name: Asirana, Chika Inari 

Age: 29 

Classification: Demon 

Hair: Silver 

Eye: Green 

Skin: Pale White, light tan 

Relation to victim: Birth Mother 

Alibi: At home, alone, in apartment 

Motive: Lost custody of twins, Sesshoumaru & Yuri, to Haru; wants them back 

Notes: Seemed lost when received word that child was kidnapped 

Extra Notes: No real leads found, other than woman in park. No woman of that exact description found in database. Chika Inari Asirana arrested for kidnapping Yuri Sada Nokugami. Closest suspect to woman in park. Will serve fifteen years in prison. Case Closed. 

Shino scanned the papers a few extra times. The dates and the money amounts matched up. On August 27, 2994, Yuri was kidnapped. Now, exactly ten years later, on August 27, 3004 the students of SPS and SPES ( Sunset Public School and Sunset Private Education School) all went missing.

On August 29, 2994, SPD received the tape portraying Yuri as kidnapped. On August 29, 3004 the tapes came to the SPD, showing the kidnapped students. Among those students were the remaining Nokugami children. This was just a summary file though. Shino stood, going towards the SPD's hall of records.

Perhaps now was the time to reopen the Nokugami Kidnapping Case. If Shino was right, then he condemned Asirana to jail on false pretense. She could not possibly have gotten out of prison. He would have gotten word of it if she had.

* * *

Naraku Onigumo sat on the bar stool, watching the strippers slowly do their dances of seduction. He was one of the few people who came to the strip club at three pm. He sighed, but he couldn't seem to find interest in his drink, or the women on the bar.

He felt the urge to hurt something welling up in him and knew it would burst soon. He couldn't find his daughter or his son to beat on them and release that pent up anger. They were always his escape. He couldn't remember already when the last time he'd hit them was. It had to have been at least a week before.

He hated his marriage with Kali. There was a time that he thought he was in love with her, and the marriage was a sweet thing indeed, but a year after they'd married, he'd fallen out of love with her.

He'd been doing everything in his power to get her to hate him enough to divorce him. He didn't want to break it off, not if it would hurt her. He didn't think about how he was hurting her just by harming her children physically.

After so many years of abusing them, he found that he couldn't stop from doing it. When he saw them, something in him got angry and he wanted to beat them and did. He would lash out at them with his belt, and he was much stronger than them so no matter how they would try to fight back he was always the one who won.

Eventually, they gave up trying to stop the beatings and just let it happen, and Naraku found that he didn't need to beat them as much if they didn't fight it. If they fought, then the anger in him burst forth and he just couldn't stop himself from continuing the beating.

But it was that girl...his daughter... who he beat more often. She always protected her brother. Naraku knew he'd created more than enough scars on her back, and the sound of the belt across her back ringing in his ears always made him want to laugh.

She used to cry out each time the belt hit her, but she didn't anymore. She once bit her lip so hard she bit a hole in it just so she could keep from crying.

Naraku didn't understand himself, anymore than he understood anyone else. Kali was the one who was the psychiatrist. Naraku had gone to college to be an office assistant. He'd had to learn to type using the computer at a speed of 130 words per minute.

He'd exceeded that, going as far as typing 156 wpm at an average. He'd promised Kali that when she owned a psychiatrist's office, he would be her assistant and help her out. A fine job he'd done keeping that promise.

The day that Naraku had walked in on Kagome and that friend of her's lying naked together in Kagome's bed, Naraku had been furious. That someone would defile his daughter other than him made him angry.

He'd beaten her for being the very thing that he took home every night. When the boy had tried to help her, he'd tossed him aside.

After that, there proceeded a beating unlike any that Naraku had ever given anyone. All that anger was directed at her; at Kagome. He hadn't really listened to Kagome or the boy when they'd tried to explain that they loved each other and were going to marry each other. He wouldn't hear of it.

He hadn't told Kali about what had occurred, but she'd found out, he knew. She'd found out that her daughter and the Ichiro boy had fraternized, yet she had not reprimanded Kagome.

She'd just calmly spoke to the girl, and then the boy, and things were 'smoothed out'. Naraku had been furious, though. He'd just gone off, beating Kagome.

He still got mad when he heard of it. He gulped his whisky. He wanted nothing more than the best for his children, so this was the only way he knew how to achieve that. If he knew another way, he might take that route.

That his daughter had fraternized with someone made him very upset. He wished he could have turned back time and stopped her from doing it, but a fine role model he was, wasn't he? Having a new woman in his bed every night, in a shrine no less!

He stood, a bit tipsy on his feet, and then sat back down. He would change tomorrow. He would make things right tomorrow. He still did not know how, but he would try... tomorrow.

* * *

Shino looked at the school before him. It was a place to start at least. He'd not gotten a hold of Haru Nokugami yet but he would try again later that afternoon.

So far it had been three days since the actual kidnapping took place, one day since the tapes had come in. Shino had gotten a hold of all the other parents, but Haru was in France and his wife didn't have a way to reach him.

She'd said that the elder son, Sesshoumaru, knew the number to reach Haru, but she didn't call Haru because she didn't want to interrupt his business meetings. She'd been rather suggestive about the meetings, that they were more of 'one night stands' than meetings with business partners and clients.

From what Shino could tell, Haru was hardly ever home. It had been the same way ten years before. Haru had hardly taken any interest in his children, allowing Nekura, the mother of the younger son Inuyasha, to raise the children alone, along with the servants who tended to the house.

Shino found that there were fewer servants around the house now; it mostly was just Nekura and the two sons in the house.

Shino couldn't understand why anyone would leave their family and just go like that. Of course, he himself had left his ex-wife, taking his son with him because his ex-wife had had relations with someone she'd just happened to meet at work.

His ex had been a bartender at the local casino. Shino had thought that she was bringing home far too much money than she should from all those late nights of working.

Of course, because he'd found out about his ex's prostituting, he'd turned her in and she'd served three months in jail for it. After that, it was easy to get custody of his son. The court sided with him.

Shino walked towards SPES ( Sunset Private Education School), assurance in his step. His partner, Lea Saeko, was already in the building.

She'd gone in undercover to try to root out the problems with the SPES gang that was rumored around to be causing mischief. Lea was having problems though, because of an error in judgment. She was walking on very thin ice. She'd sent the kids on a field trip, and the students had been kidnapped.

Her original plan had seemed good; send the kids all into an environment where they have to act and coordinate with each other to find who the trouble spot is.

Of course, the androids monitoring each group, as each group had an android equipped with a camera behind the eyes so that whatever the android heard, and whatever the android saw was heard and seen by the monitoring station.

The androids were controlled by remote from the SPD, using volunteers from the community. They talked through voice converters and were almost like walky-talkies.

Shino chuckled at the thought. They were walky-talkies. They walked, and they talked. But no one had expected that a criminal mastermind would be able to enter the shrine especially with the owner, Onigumo, Kali, being a priestess.

The barrier around the shrine prohibited 'evil spirits' to enter the shrine. Perhaps they should update the shrine barrier. Shino thought. He did believe that Kali had power not normal to find in humans. In his line of work, he'd long-since learned to believe that anything is possible.

Shino entered the office of the building, noting that there were a crowd of students in the cafeteria who should have been in class. The school headmistress was most likely going to give a speech of what had occurred now that most of the families were alerted. Lea was waiting for him in the office.

"Hey." Lea said. She looked tired. She'd probably been up late answering countless phone calls from raging parents. She'd not done her make up today yet. Her suit-skirt was slightly wrinkled which meant she'd not had time to iron it that morning as she tended to do.

Shino quirked an eyebrow at her. "Hey back." He said. "Get much rest last night?"

She shook her head, speaking quietly so that the office people would not overhear. She had no worries about that since only humans worked in the office.

"No. Parents were calling and raving at me. Some of them said that I should pay the ransom. This has turned out to be a mad case. I hadn't thought that some psychopathic kidnapper would infect my plans. How are the Seeds doing on the images the androids sent, and the voices on the android recordings?"

The Seeds were what the cops liked to call the computer technicians. The reasoning behind the name was because the computer technicians were constantly at computers, sitting all the time so a running joke was that one of them would sprout roots like a seed in the ground. The name just stuck after that. The Seeds were real cops. They'd gone to college for it.

"The images are distorted in all of them, so they're trying to clear the fuzz out." Shino told her as she led him to the headmistress's office. "They've got a voice from one. It's the same voice as on every one of the tapes that came in yesterday. That's as far as we've gotten though."

Lea opened the headmistress's door for him and then followed him in. "I've not been able to get much information out of the students yet. They won't talk about either the Ichiro's, or the Higurashi's. That Shishuni boy either. It's almost as though the students are afraid to talk about them to me. I know they're talking about them when I can't hear."

Shino nodded and looked at the headmistress. She was on the phone at the moment. "Hey, you do what you can." He said, and she knew he meant that she shouldn't do anything to risk her being undercover.

She was new to the SPD, so not many knew about her being a cop and that made it perfect for her. Plus, she didn't grow up in Sunset. She grew up with her mother in West City, her parents having divorced when she was a child.

The headmistress hung up the phone and stood from her seat. "Close the door, Ms Saeko." She said quietly. She waved to the seats in front of her desk after Lea had done as she was told. The two took a seat and she sat back down.

"Have you anything yet?" She seemed tense. Of course, anyone would if they were on the verge of losing everything. The headmistress had powerful parents on the school board and if she angered just one of them, she could lose not just her job but her house, her car, her marriage, her children, and her freedom all in one swift blow.

Such a case as this ricocheted off the walls and back onto everyone else. Parents felt the repercussions just as did everyone else who either knew the victim or suspect.

Shino shook his head. "Not anything real to go on yet. I'd like permission to speak with your students freely." It was a private school, so Shino could certainly not just barge in and demand answers. He couldn't do that at a public school very easily either, but it was much simpler to get answers from students at a public school than at a private school.

"Perhaps one of your students might have information and not really know of it."

The headmistress nodded slowly, uncertainly. "You may ask questions, but that is all. I can not grant that you search the students—"

Shino smiled warmly at her. He knew how hard things could be. His thoughts roamed to his son for a moment. He wondered if Medallion was okay, but shook himself mentally. Medallion needed Shino to focus his attention on his work.

"I do not need to search the students." He said, interrupting her. "I just need to ask them a few questions."

The headmistress nodded and Shino got up. "I will get you a list of the students' names and what classes they have."

He nodded in return and walked out of the room, intent on finding someone who could give him any hint on whether or not the kidnapping was spontaneous, or if it was indeed connected to the one that took place ten years before, as he suspected it did.

While he waited for the student list, he still had work he could do. He went to the jail to inform Asirana of the kidnapping. She probably wouldn't like to know that her son had been kidnapped, just like her daughter ten years before, and it would be a gruesome thing to tell her, but he had questions for her that had to be answered.

* * *

Kali had given herself the day off. She'd cancelled all her meetings with clients and spent the day trying to gather herself. She'd done the same the day before. She had yet to stop crying, and hadn't slept at all the previous night. Naraku had come home and he had slapped her, but she'd been far too stressed out to deal with it at the moment.

She threw a vase at him and yelled at him and threw several other of her family heirlooms at him, things that were very fragile and had been passed down from generation to generation, some of the things worth millions of dollars and dating back to the 1400's or even further back.

Naraku had gotten the point that she wasn't to be messed with just then, but he, in his inebriated state, couldn't understand why she was upset that her children were gone.

After he'd left, she'd tried to concentrate on cleaning up the mess she'd made, but after making several lacerations on her hands, she'd given up. Sure, she had hundreds more family heirlooms, some so expensive that she daren't keep it out of a safe house, things that she could sell for more money to get her children back, but she couldn't sell the heirlooms until she'd reached the age of forty.

She'd had Kagome at age nineteen, having graduated college quite quickly, in fact much quicker than she should have since she'd been a 'genius child' and had already graduated high school by the time she was fourteen.

She'd married Naraku just out of college, and thus, Kagome came along. Ten months after that, Souta came along. The two were her world. They were what she lived for, they were her happiness, and now someone had mercilessly ripped them away from her, angering her.

Three years until she was forty. Three years until she could sell a single heirloom. Until then, she had no money with which to use to get her children back, and she had to be honest with herself. Even if she paid the ransom, she might never see her children again. The kidnappers might just kill her children.

Ai, one of the gardeners who worked for Kali, put an arm around the distraught woman's shoulders. Ai did not know what Kali was going through, but she knew that if it had been her daughter who had just turned five, she would be unable to handle the strain. She comforted the crying woman.

"There there...I'm sure Detective Takai is doing his best to bring them home." Ai and the other gardeners did feel some loss at the news of Kagome and Souta's being kidnapped. The two siblings were a source of everlasting amusement when they worked together, but that wasn't what was lost.

What was lost was a feeling of completion in the Shrine without them around to fill the hole. Ai figured that feeling must be amplified about a hundred fold for Kali, considering the woman birthed the two and watched them grow up.

* * *

Sango sighed and leaned back in the stifling room. The room they were all in was by no means small, but it was filled with enemies and friends alike and that was what made it seem stifling and small. She glared across the distance at Medallion who was smirking at her.

Kagome lay a few feet away, tied up so she didn't hurt herself when she had a seizure. Souta lay by her, watching over her. Kagome's friends all took turns watching over her. Souta was always watching over her though.

He slept by her, woke by her, ate by her when food was provided...the only time he really left her side was when he had to use the rest room.

Though none of the students except Kagome was tied up (for safety to herself) the students were by no means free. The room was built in stone and the door was like a vault. Sango had tried to open it several times, but it was almost impossible from the inside.

On the outside, she could have gotten it easily she was sure. There was two bathrooms leading off the room but that was it. There were no windows, and the walls, made of stone, were probably at least two feet thick.

Not easily broken. Some of the students who were demons had tried to use their demonic power to break out, but that proved fruitless.

Even Karei was worried about Kagome and if you could get Karei to worry about her cousin, then something surely was wrong. Kagome wasn't doing too well. She hadn't woken up since her first seizure.

When the creepy men and women came with their food, Souta often yelled at them to call the doctor for Kagome. He knew it was useless, but he did anyway.

The plane trip had been frightening for Rin. Kohaku had defended her when the kidnappers had laughed at her weak stomach – she had vomited right after take off – and Sango had taken care of her throughout the flight.

Miroku, Souta and Kikyou during the flight had taken care of Kagome, who'd been unconscious. The two boys would hold her if she started to seize up, and Kikyou would carefully bandage any wounds that Kagome inflicted unknowingly upon herself.

All in all, it was a rather trying time. It seemed that even the flight attendants were in on the kidnapping. Karei had been the one who found that out.

Medallion kept saying things about how his father would find them all and would bring the kidnappers to justice, but Sango wasn't so sure. She knew that his father was a detective for the SPD and usually worked on cases involving children; murders, domestic disputes, kidnappings, the like, but she wasn't so sure this case would be solved.

She knew that his father had solved many crimes and she had hacked into the SPD's mainframe before, reading about a case that he'd solved involving Sesshoumaru's birth mother. Apparently she'd been convicted of kidnapping her daughter, Sesshoumaru's twin, because she'd not been allowed to see the two since the moment of their birth.

Sango had read every report pertaining to the crime carefully and to her, things just didn't seem to add up right. She sighed, watching Kikyou place a cool washcloth from the bathroom on Kagome's forehead.

The room was not air conditioned. With students numbering somewhere in the sixties in the room, the body heat made it incredibly hot. She worried for Kagome. She wasn't doing all that well. She hoped that Medallion's father would pull his job through and find them soon before Kagome was seriously injured.

"You can't help but wonder what is happening to Kagome." Miroku said quietly, sitting down next to Sango. He was slightly disheveled, the wool uniform sticking to him. None of them had gotten their clothes back.

Sango knew that if they pulled out of this and Kagome was okay after it all, Kagome would be furious because they'd taken her 'Ice Princess' tank top. That was one of her favorite shirts, Sango knew.

Sango nodded glumly. She didn't even want to know what was happening. She just wanted to know if Kagome would be okay.

* * *

Hakudoushi Taisei worriedly paced his living room floor. "We haven't paid enough attention to her. We should have watched her closer." He grumbled. He was unkempt in the way of his appearances slightly from lack of sleep and too much stress.

Of course, his wife looked no worse for wear, as she was always cool and collected, but he could see in her eyes that she was worried for their daughter, who they'd just recently found to be kidnapped.

May Taisei smiled thinly at her husband. She loved him dearly, but the pacing had to stop. She couldn't allow him to wear himself out with worry.

She'd been raised to keep a level head when bad things happened, and now was a perfect time for him to practice that art. "Hakudoushi, sit down." She told him firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Hakudoushi looked at her, surprised that she could even talk in such a clipped voice. She'd always been mildly-temperamental, but if this was mild, he was a woman wearing a man's privates.

He sat down heavily on the couch in their expensively furnished living room, tossing his legs up on the sofa seat. "I'm worried." He admitted.

May laughed lightly, able to ease the situation with just her laugh. The tense atmosphere became liquid smooth. "Anyone with half a brain could see you are worried, love. Just relax. Worrying won't bring her back; action will. Now get yourself ready. We're going to visit Kali. She needs to be comforted too."

Hakudoushi sighed and moved to stand. May knew he could hardly stand the thought that they would go visit a friend with their daughter missing, but what could they do that was not already being done by the police?

They had already gotten the money together for Karei, but there was no way to contact the kidnappers yet, or if there was, the police was not giving it to them yet, probably needing time to find out a bit of who the kidnapper might be.

* * *

Shino sighed and rubbed his weary eyes. He was getting nowhere. He'd talked to pretty much all the students at both SPS and SPES and all he'd gotten was that the Higurashi siblings, the Ichiro siblings, and the Shishuni boy hung out a lot at the Rave.

The five were almost inseparable. In talking with one boy at the school, he'd found out that Shishuni, and the two Higurashi children were 'marked'. Whatever that meant. He wasn't sure he liked the sound of it though.

"Shino, are you okay?" Lea asked him. It had been nine days now since the kidnapping had taken place; seven days since the tapes came. They were able to get a head start on the case right when they'd been kidnapped because of the distorted images coming through the androids cameras, but not much of a head start.

They'd figured something was going wrong when all of a sudden all the cameras started distorting, one after another. There was too much of a pattern interval between the cameras for it to be a coincidence.

There had been tracking devices placed in the androids, but the androids were found with the vans that had gone onto the shrine grounds.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Just a little tired, I guess."

Lea smiled faintly. She was surprised he was even working on the case. He'd been asked if he wanted to take a voluntary leave, but he'd just shook his head at the captain saying, "I'm going to find my son."

"Come on, let's get some lunch." She said.

"No. I better get back to work."

Onigumo, Kali knocked on the door to his office. Kali was surprised to see Lea wearing a gun and a badge, but she just smiled faintly as though things were finally becoming clear to her.

She had a small envelope in her hand. "I've got the money." She said. Kali didn't even have to beg Hakudoushi and May for their help. When they'd come, they just whipped out their checkbook and wrote the check. Kali would of course pay them back as soon as she could sell the family heirlooms, but she was grateful to them for their help.

Lea walked over to Kali and rested a hand on her aunt's shoulder. "You don't have to push yourself. We'll find them and they'll be safe."

Kali sighed. "I just want my babies back, Lea." She said. "You wouldn't understand what it is like to lose your children; you don't even have children yet. I can't live without knowing they're as safe as I can get them."

Lea looked at a loss for words. "I'm sorry, Kali. I'm really sorry."

Shino's phone rang. He picked it up. "Hello, Sunset Police Department, Detective Takai speaking." He said, his voice clipped short.

"Detective, this is Haru Nokugami. I got back from my business trip to France and my sons are not home. My wife said they haven't been home for days. I'd like a search warrant out for them."

Shino sighed. He waved to Lea, indicating that she should leave with Kali for a moment. The two left and he was alone in the room. "Mr. Nokugami, I'm afraid I have bad news for you. If you would please come down to the station?"

"Fine." Haru didn't sound very pleased that he had to come down, obviously thinking something along the lines of his sons were in jail for something or other. Or perhaps he was thinking that his sons had been kidnapped, just as his daughter was. Either way, he didn't sound happy, but he didn't sound particularly sad either.

Haru didn't live far from the station. He was there in less than five minutes. He entered Shino's office and sat down, obviously not in need of permission. Shino didn't think that Haru looked too well in health. He seemed a bit malnourished.

"You could get right to the point. I don't have all day." Haru said.

Shino nodded, grabbing a tape from a shelf to the left of his desk and putting it in the VCR. "This was sent to us via snail mail from a non-descript Tokyomail post." He said. He pushed play and let Haru watch the tape, also watching it. This was the last one, and Shino had not yet watched it, though the captain had.

The screen showed complete darkness. "Haru Nokugami, if you are watching this now, that means that I have your sons as well as your daughter."

The voice overlay was that of a woman, just as in the rest of the tapes. "Will you abandon them like you did your daughter?" Then, just like in the rest of the tapes, the screen turned fuzzy for a moment and then cleared and there was color.

First it showed Sesshoumaru Nokugami, then Inuyasha Nokugami, then finally it showed Yuri Nokugami. All of them were unconscious. "Ten million dollars for their safe return." The woman's voice said.

"I suggest you pay it, Nokugami." She said, and then the screen went black momentarily, and then changed to white and gray fuzz indicating the end of the tape.

Shino's eyes widened. He had wrongly accused Asirana. He'd been suspicious that he had the past few days, but had no evidence to prove her innocence. Now that he knew, he couldn't let this continue on. A woman was serving time for something she never committed.

Haru stood. "I refuse to pay any ransom." He said and then headed for the door.

Shino sighed then as Kali entered after Haru had exited. "Here... please, get me my children back." She whispered, handing him the check nervously.

It was paid out to the SPD. The SPD would have to go to the bank and get the money. Shino sighed again. It seemed that, with so few clues to go on, he would have to set up a trade, somehow.

"Takai!" Someone called. "The Seeds got something!"

Shino stood quickly, taking the envelope and pushing it back into Kali's hands. "You keep this. I'll find your children." He rushed towards the shouting. The Seeds were cheering, egging on another Seed who was busily hacking away at the keyboard, the screen continuously changing until finally an image was on the screen.

The woman was unrecognizable, but it was a woman indeed. She was wearing scant clothing and seemed to be ordering something around.

"Haven't got sound yet, but I've got picture." The Seed said. He grinned widely, proud of himself. As well he should be; some of the Veteran Seeds had been unable to do anything, and he, fresh out of college, had done something they couldn't.

"Something's better than nothing." Shino replied, vaguely remembering seeing someone with that face recently. He rushed off. "Keep working!" He called, going to his office and searching through his stack of recently filed paperwork.

He'd thought it was odd when someone just left six semis out in the middle of nowhere, then when the lab technicians matched the DNA from a hair follicle to that of a woman named Xera, Li and no other history available, well, now was the time to look closer at her records and see for sure if there isn't any other history.

* * *

Kagome groaned and sat up. Immediately Souta threw his arms around her, knocking her back down. "Kagome, you idiot, you scared the crap outta me!" He yelled at her. Around the two were sleeping students, but a few of them were awake and they glared at Souta for disturbing the silence.

"Change your pants then, Souta, and get off'a me. I've got to pee really bad." She looked around, and then realized that she wasn't at home. "Wha-where are we?"

"How do I know?" Souta said, releasing her and leaning back on his heels, crouching next to her. He'd been really worried for Kagome. "We got kidnapped by some insane woman with gold skin. I think she painted her skin though."

Kagome smacked her legs. "How long have we been here? I feel like I've been out for days." She felt her legs begin to get that prickly feeling to them that always happened right after you wake them up from their 'sleep'.

Her legs were punishing her. If she moved them, the feeling would intensify and she would laugh until she cried, which would probably make her pee her pants. She didn't want that.

Souta smiled at his sister, glad that she was alright again, but not sure she really was. She looked alright, but he couldn't be sure. He ran a hand through his hair.

It was growing longer than he usually kept it, making it messier than usual. He rarely ran a comb through his hair, but now his hair was really bad. It was greasy too, since the bathrooms didn't have baths or showers, none of the students could bathe.

It was reasonable that his sister had to go to the bathroom. She'd been out cold for ten days already. He was actually surprised that with her having her period she didn't just leak all over. Of course, it was fully possible that she'd just gotten over her period the day they were kidnapped.

"You have been out for days." Souta told her. "Ten of 'em."

"No wonder I feel like I'm going to explode."

Souta pointed to the door to the bathrooms. "There's two of 'em. SPS students have been using the one on the left; SPES students have been using the one on the right. I'm guessing the intent on using two bathrooms in here was so that girls could have one and guys could have one, but no one wants to intermingle with students from another school. Even Miroku's held his hands ten miles away from anyone from SPS."

Kagome nodded and scrambled to her feet, walking awkwardly on sleeping legs towards the bathroom. She heard Souta laugh at her. "Shuddup." She muttered.

She went into the bathroom on the right and closed and locked the door. She had the painful feeling of releasing her excess waste that you always have when you hold it in too long and wasn't surprised to find that her period was over.

Her last day to deal with it was the day of getting kidnapped. She washed herself up as best she could using the sink only, washing her hands and face.

When she was finished in the bathroom, she went out again and sat by Souta where she had been before. She noticed that the rest of her friends were nearby as well. Kikyou, Sango, and Rin were to her left, Miroku, Kohaku, and Souta were to her right.

Kohaku sat up and looked at Kagome. "Hey babe. How you feelin'?" He asked. His brown eyes were in shadow in the dark room. There were no windows, Kagome noticed.

There was light coming from the bathrooms, but other than that, there was no light in the room. He moved to sit on her left, between her and Sango.

Kagome looked at him, rubbing the back of her neck, then looked at Souta. "Wonderful." She said. "I'm surrounded by two of my favorite men."

Kohaku leaned closer to her, nuzzling her earlobe with his nose. "Hey, we've been worried." He whispered.

Kagome sighed and leaned into him, he wrapped his arms around her. She wished sometimes that she hadn't had to break up with him, but her mother had insisted that they separate for a while.

She knew that whatever small feelings she held for Sesshoumaru were nothing compared to the sense of completion she always got when she was with Kohaku.

Yeah, he might be weird sometimes, but she loved him, for everything he was. Sesshoumaru was just a minor infatuation. She hardly knew anything about him. He was just 'the cute guy'.

Souta threw his lip out in a pout, creating more of a shadow around his mouth. "What, don't I get any attention?" He said, but his voice was filled with amusement.

It was rather amusing to him to watch his sister melt into Kohaku's arms. Sometimes she didn't, but almost always she did.

Kagome chuckled and reached out, grabbing Souta's arm and pulling his head into her lap, running her fingers through his hair. "That what you wanted?" She whispered, forcing back a laugh.

She felt Kohaku's chest rumble from his laugh. Kagome's back was to Kohaku's chest and Souta was lying with his head in Kagome's lap. Souta had fallen asleep already, Kagome noticed. She smiled slightly.

"He was really stressed." Kohaku murmured in her ear. "You had to have had at least two seizures a day." Kohaku ran his hands up and down Kagome's arms. He also wished that Kali had not asked them to separate for a while, but both of them respected Kali far too much to disobey her request.

They knew she was right, especially after Kali had talked to them about her and Naraku's relationship. Naraku and Kali had just jumped right into it, not thinking about what might happen later on. Kohaku and Kagome didn't think that their relationship would end up like that, but Kali had insisted.

Kagome and Kohaku, dressed in the clothes they'd worn the previous day once more, sat on the futon on Kagome's bunk bed. They were both on opposite ends, blushing and staring at anything but Kagome's mother, Kali. Kali looked at her daughter, frowning.

"You could be pregnant, Kagome. What would you do then?" Kali asked.

Kagome crossed her arms over her stomach. "Kohaku and I already plan to get married." She said. "I showed you the ring the other day. Or were you too busy with your stupid clients that you couldn't pay attention to me?"

"Just because you're engaged to someone doesn't mean you can let your guard down, sweetie." Kali said quietly. She walked and knelt in front of the two, taking one of each of their hands.

"I love you both dearly, but you have much to think of. Your futures, the future of your children whether you have children with each other or with someone else, your careers... you have to be able to take care of your children you know. If you have a child and are still in High School, what would you do? I could not take care of it. Kohaku-kun, your father could not take care of it. I am not just a stay at home mother. I have patients, and a child is very demanding."

Kohaku and Kagome both looked at each other. Understanding was in their eyes. They knew what Kali was saying, however subliminally. Kagome's eyes filled with tears and she threw herself into Kohaku's arms, sobbing as he held her.

Kali nodded at them, speaking quietly but knowing both of them were listening. "You know what you should do... at least for a while. Kagome, we can find out if you are pregnant easily enough, but you both need to do this for your own sake. You know I wouldn't ask it otherwise."

Kohaku nodded. "I'm sorry, mom." Kali nodded. She too hoped that someday Kohaku would be her son. She already felt like Kohaku was her son. He spent enough time with her and her children. Kali walked out of the room, a sigh escaping her lips as she saw Naraku fuming in the hall.

"Naraku, you will not go in there. If you do, I will have you thrown into jail." She warned him, and then went into her son's room. He was not there and she remembered that he'd stayed at Miroku's house the night before because the two were assigned to a school project together. She headed down to her office after that.

Kagome turned her head towards Kohaku, kissing his chin. "I love you, Trip..." She whispered.

Kohaku kissed the back of her head when she turned to look down at Souta again. "And I you." He whispered. Both had decided that they could not be together after that though. They had promised each other that they would hook their parents together; Kali with Mich.

They both knew that soon judgment day would come for Naraku and he would be out of the picture. It wouldn't be hard to put Mich into the picture, and if their parents were married, then they couldn't be together.

* * *

Sesshoumaru listened to the declaration between Kagome and Kohaku with a heavy heart. As much as he hated it, Kohaku and Kagome seemed to be perfect for each other. They had grown up together, seemed to know everything about each other.

So he couldn't understand why his heart couldn't get over her. For heck's sake, the two had even had intercourse! Sesshoumaru wished he had his journal. He just wanted to write everything down.

* * *

Shino balled his fist up, slamming it down on his desk to emphasize his anger. "There is no time!" He yelled at his partner, his voice carrying through the open door to attract the attention of fellow co-workers outside his office.

It was rare for him to lose his temper, but the case he was working on and the fact that his son was also one of the numbers who had been kidnapped had gotten to him more than a little bit.

Lea leaned calmly on the arm of one of the chairs in front of Shino's desk, looking at the bright red nail polish on her manicured nails. She'd cleaned up her appearance once more, her suit-skirt perfect and unwrinkled, and her black as night hair in its usual tight bun.

She pursed her lips, the only sign of her agitation as she stopped looking at her nails to put her hand on her hip and glance at Shino. "There is time, Shino." She told him firmly, her bright blue eyes blazing with fierce determination. "There is plenty of time."

Shino fisted his hands in his hair, pulling on it roughly, and groaned miserably. "There is no time! The contact wants the money. Twenty two hours until trade off, what could we possibly do?"

Shino hadn't even been able to round together much more than ten-thousand dollars, contribution of most of his family.

Lea frowned. "You were the one who was so gun-hoe about this!" She snapped finally irritation getting to her. "With the amount of money Xera is asking, she isn't going to be doing anything stupid! Six hundred forty million dollars, is enough to have thought this through carefully! We've got nothing – zilch on who the people who helped her are! We wouldn't even know who Xera is; in fact we really don't know who Xera is! All we've got is you guessing."

"The Seeds got something again Takai!" someone shouted.

Shino stood so fast his chair tipped over, one of the wheels having got caught on a knot in the wooden floor. He rushed towards the door, tripping slightly over items that had gotten scattered from where they were supposed to be in his lack of sleep.

Lea was right on his heel as he rushed towards the large room the Seed's occupied, their desks and computers scattered in the disorganized room.

"What is it?" He snapped in his eagerness to know.

"Ereh revo! I mean, over here!" called one of the Seeds. He was dyslexic to the point where he even sometimes spoke everything backwards. Shino and Lea quickly closed the distance between themselves and the man.

Another Seed, standing nearby, spoke for the first. "It appears one of the androids had gotten mixed up with the students. We only tried to look for the vast majority of the tracking devices, and our range stuck to the city, not going much further." He explained. "Opiwa, hone in on the android."

Opiwa, the dyslexic Seed, nodded and typed away at the computer, swearing sometimes both backwards and forwards when he did something backwards, then erasing and starting over.

"Ere-I mean here." He pushed enter and a large map of Earth came onto the screen. Using the up arrow on his keypad, he zoomed in as far as he could, pinpoint the area somewhere in West City.

"We're guessing they used the airport by Keysville or something and landed somewhere around West City, then drove into West City. Something is disturbing the frequency so we can't hone in any closer though."

Lea frowned. "Can you get any picture from the android?"

"No, it's offline for the most part. Opiwa, try to turn it on remote."

Nodding again, Opiwa started typing in numbers using the number keypad. Shino scratched his not-so clean shaven face thoughtfully. He'd given up trying to shave for a while, his hands being so shaky with frayed nerves that his son was still missing.

"Ti tog," Opiwa said, too distracted to bother noticing he'd spoken backwards.

"Right, now bring up the frequency tables. We can try to change frequencies and maybe get a stronger signal." He began pointing out where Opiwa should click with the mouse, as several hundreds of tiny codes pulled up on the screen. "Get the-"

Shino blocked out their technological talk. Quickly he went to his office, Lea again following him. "If they can get the android working again, we might not have to trade off, if we move fast enough."

Lea nodded her agreement and Shino continued, shifting through papers on his desk. "Lea, get a hold of the Tokyo police. Tell them to close their airports for the next twenty four hours to groups with more than three children. Send them the pictures of the students we're looking for too."

"I'm on it." Lea said, walking briskly out of the room, her previous idea now lost among thousands of other thoughts.

* * *

Kali looked at her client, nodding at her words, but not really listening. Her mind was encased in worry for her children. She knew Detective Takai was trying his hardest, but it had been almost an entire month.

She didn't have to be a brain surgeon to know that Takai was hiding something from her. She just wanted her children back.

* * *

Naraku sighed, staring at his whiskey, once again his rear planted firmly to a chair though this time it was in the casino at the bar. He was in major debt at this place. He'd racked up a bill to the owner of this place of a debt of three hundred fifty thousand dollars.

He knew that Kali would not have that kind of money to pay it so he always gambled, trying to lower the debt but only managing to raise it.

"Bartend, 'nother whiskey." He called. The bartend didn't answer. Of course, he wouldn't be served anymore that night. He was already smashed. He didn't need a reminder, so he drank away the thoughts until his drink was gone, then got up off the chair and walked home, humming to himself.

"Intriguing..." A voice said from somewhere nearby. "And you are sure?"

Naraku looked around for the source of the voice and saw some people conversing in an alleyway. He pushed his body up against a wall, into the shadows and out of view.

Of course, they were humans so they wouldn't smell him as easily, but even in his drunken state, he knew if they walked by they'd smell the alcohol. Still, he wanted to know why these voices sounded so like conspirators. He could almost taste the deception.

"Positive. Nokugami's health is declining rather rapidly. He hasn't taken care of himself in a long time. Some people say he's had two strokes and a heart attack just recently. Of course, it runs in his genes, or so I'm told, but he might've avoided it if he'd taken care of himself." The other person, both female, said.

"So he's not going to pay the ransom?" The first female seemed shocked.

"No." the other female answered.

"But I like those boys! They're so polite every time they come to visit the shop!"

Gossip. Naraku thought, leaving his hiding place. That always sounds like conspiring. He headed for home. When he got there finally, he allowed himself to collapse on the living room couch. He sunk into the bliss of unawareness.

* * *

Kagome scowled, glaring at Medallion. He'd dared to make a pass at Karei, and however much Kagome disliked her cousin, she wouldn't let her cousin be defiled. Kagome stood in front of Karei who was crying at the indecency that Medallion had touched her in a private area.

Sure, Karei would cling to people, but she wasn't as bad as a lot of people thought. She held herself in high respects and would never think about touching someone were they didn't want to be touched.

Karei sat on the ground, sobbing into Maren and Chrisa's arms. Maren and Chrisa were also in their own states of shock, but they didn't dare to look at Medallion. Kagome growled as Medallion's friends involved themselves into the ordeal, going to stand at their backs. So far it was just Kagome and a few of Karei's friends who stood between Medallion and his new 'prey'.

Kagome knew why her friends did not stand with her and respected them for their wishes, knowing that if worse came to worst, they would undoubtedly involve themselves.

"Can't get any from me so you got to go to my family?" Kagome spat at him. The atmosphere was already tense because they'd been holed up in a room for days on end with little food.

Medallion smirked and leaned slightly on one leg so he could see the sobbing girl. "She liked it." He said with assurance to his voice.

"I'll rip your throat out if you touch someone from Private again! Especially her!"

Medallion laughed, his voice sending shivers up Karei's spine. I've been violated... she thought, horrified. He touched me... She hid her face in Chrisa's shoulder, sobbing and soaking the other girl's gray wool shirt.

"What's the deal, Higurashi?" Medallion asked. "I thought you hated her."

"Whether or not I like her doesn't matter!" Kagome told him, clenching and unclenching her fists. "She's a part of my territory, so back off!"

Souta moved to join Kagome, standing in front of his cousin, hands loose at his sides. Kohaku, Sango, and Miroku didn't hesitate much longer than Souta to join Kagome. Kagome was the leader of their gang but they had the choice to either get involved or not.

She would not force them to do something they didn't want to. Souta looked back at his cousin. "Stand up Karei." He told her. "Or he'll walk all over you."

Silence reigned through the room; no one dared to move, not even breathe. The tension between the two gangs – Medallion's and Kagome's – was thicker than pea soup. Sesshoumaru watched raptly, not daring to get into the fight. If he did, Karei might get the idea he liked her but he knew how she must feel, being touched somewhere private by someone you don't want touching you.

Every muscle in Kagome's body tensed further with each second. She was furious. "Apologize before I beat the living tar out of you."

Medallion leaned walked forward until his face was just scant inches away from Kagome's and his lips quirked in a sinister leer. "She. Liked. It." He said slowly, as though she hadn't understood him before.

Kagome balled her fist, pulled it back, and smashed it forward into his face. His lip began bleeding profusely, split open as though sliced with a knife.

"Medallion, I'll kick your ass if you don't apologize to my cousin right now!" Medallion smiled, his lip splitting open even further. Blood from his lip began to pool on his chin before dribbling off. Kagome was beyond angry. She was so mad she was swearing.

Karei stood, wiping her eyes. "Higurashi, stop this immediately! That is no humane way to behave."

Kagome's lips quirked in disgust, her eyes portraying the hidden anger as well as the anger she let show. "Karei, what would you know about human behavior? All your damn life you've snubbed me and everyone else into the background. You've gone as far as running students out of the school. If anything, I think I should slug you too."

When Karei made to say something again, Sango stomped on her foot 'casually'. "Ahh!" Karei cried.

Murmurs went through the crowd about how this was getting out of hand – members from both schools were saying it. Medallion waved his hand dismissively at the students from his school and immediately they hushed, their silence bringing with it the silence of also the SPES students.

Kagome and her gang stared at Medallion and his gang angrily. "Where are your bells now, Hell's Bitch?" Medallion sneered.

A clanging sound of a giant lock being undone was heard and all the students, SPS and SPES, looked towards the door. Slowly it began to swing outward and then suddenly a girl was pushed into the vault like room.

"Worthless!" The golden skinned woman's voice called. The woman with gold skin walked into the vault, glaring down at the girl on the floor. The girl was struggling to get up, her entire body littered with bruises.

She was stark naked and the black and blue bruises stood out in contrast to her silver hair and pale skin. Her face was hidden from view by her hair, her breasts and crotch also not visible because her hair was long enough and thick enough to cover the places.

The girl's body shook –with anger or fear Kagome didn't know- as she turned to the woman defiantly. It didn't seem like she could speak, but all that you needed to know to see she was defying the woman was her posture.

She held herself proudly erect. Blood caked her body, any part that you could see, and her hair was slightly matted. The woman slapped the girl, knocking her back to the ground. "You have no use for me! I might as well just have my men kill you!"

This time the girl did not, or could not, get up. Her whole body shook and it looked like she was trying to get up, but she couldn't. A man walked into the room with a pistol in his hand. He aimed it at the girl, but Kagome moved quickly and stood in front of her. "I don't think so." She said. She knew it was stupid to do, but she knew she had to do something. She couldn't just let blood be shed.

"You can shoot her too." The woman said dismissively.

Souta, Kohaku, Sango, and Miroku didn't hesitate. They immediately stood in front of Kagome, all in a line. "Shoot her; you'll have to shoot us too." Sango said with a scowl. Kikyou and Rin weren't that far behind the other four, standing even with Kagome.

The woman quirked an eyebrow at them all. "Shoot them as well."

Slowly people drifted to stand by Kagome and her friends, safe guarding the girl even if they didn't get along with Kagome and the others. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha moved, becoming the breaking point of tension between the two schools.

Medallion moved, and with him trailed his hesitant gang, then Karei moved, with her coming her friends. Several other students moved too.

But not everyone moved. Several students from both schools didn't participate. Hiten didn't participate, the Graeme triplets didn't participate, Naomi –Inuyasha's girlfriend- didn't participate.

There were some from SPS that stood aside, but with the majority of the students standing around the girl –nearly fifty of sixty four students- the woman was faced with a decision.

She pursed her lips in a frown. "That's fine. I'm just going to kill you all after the trade off anyway." She stormed out of the vault, the man trailing after. The vault door was slammed shut and Kagome turned to look down at the still shaking girl, ignoring that the students were spreading out to find someplace to sit and chatter uselessly to try to ease their fears that they were going to die.

"Get moving, Medallion." She heard one of her friends threaten. She didn't pay attention to which it was that said it, or pay attention to the little argument that ensued afterwards.

Kneeling down next to the girl, she noticed Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha making their way closer than they'd originally been, to kneel down next to the girl. Sesshoumaru took his gray wool shirt off and though it wasn't much to provide to the girl, it was some cover and would stop students from staring at the girl so hungrily.

"Here." Sesshoumaru said quietly. "Put this on."

The girl struggled to sit up, and when she couldn't, Kagome reached to her and helped her. The girl nodded her thanks though her face was still hidden from view by her hair. She slipped the shirt on over her head and pulled it down. Since she was shorter than Sesshoumaru the shirt went just past the bottom of her rump.

"Let's get you cleaned up, hmm?" Kagome asked the girl. She helped the girl to stand and walk into the bathroom, nodding to Kikyou and Rin to come help her.

When Kikyou and Rin got into the bathroom, Kagome closed the door for privacy, and then walked to the girl, pushing aside the girl's hair. She saw golden orbs that flickered with green specks staring back at her, underlined by black and blue bruises. Her entire face looked like a big bruise.

The girl's hair looked like it hadn't been very taken care of in years. Two maroon stripe markings grazed the cheekbones of the girl, a blue crescent shaped marking on the girl's forehead. You could just barely make out the makings of maroon colored markings on the girl's eyelids.

"She looks like Sesshoumaru Nokugami's double..." Kikyou whispered. "Only, without the markings."

Kagome grabbed a washcloth from the cabinet. Every three days the men would come and get all the dirty laundry, washing it, then bringing it back and refilling the bathrooms. Getting it wet with warm water, she put soap on the wash cloth. "Rin, fill the sink up with warm water would yah?"

Rin moved to the sink, plugging it up and turning the hot water faucet on. Kikyou didn't even have to be told what to do. She immediately went and searched the cupboard for peroxide.

Of course, there was none so she just got a clean washcloth like Kagome had, using that with warm water and soap to scrub dried and caked blood from the girl's arms. The girl tried to pull her arm away when the warm water burned a particularly infected laceration but Kikyou frowned at her.

"That's enough." Kikyou said sternly. "I'll not stand for that."

Rin looked the girl over. The girl looked to be about nineteen or so, but her eyes held the look of a child's fear deep in their depths. "What's your name?" Rin asked.

The girl just looked at Rin, as though not knowing how to speak.

Rin tried a different approach. "Can you talk?" The girl cocked her head as though confused. "I'm guessing no..." Rin murmured. The girl winced when Kagome began scrubbing another of the infected cuts on her face.

Using her free hand, the hand that Kikyou wasn't currently cleaning, she drew her finger across the top of the sink like a pen. Rin looked down at the finger, watching the fingers move.


	7. Seventh Chapter

Raine Okuna smiled, watching the screen before her. Surrounding her were several television screens showing images both in color and black and white. These televisions were the only source of light in the room.

She didn't want to load her parent's electricity bill up by using so much light. As it was the basement, which should have been cool, was heated with all the computer equipment running.

She had an air conditioner and several fans, which helped more than you could imagine. The desk before Raine was an almost complete circle. There was a small gap for her to get out of the small. Her smile turned into a grin as she typed something on the keyboard, her fingers moving fast across the holographic keyboard –advanced technology that she herself had created.

At age seventeen, Raine was smarter than most people ever got from years of training. She'd completed high school by age twelve, shocking most people, and now was in her fifth year in college. She'd just had her birthday a few days ago.

Of course, it was late at night and she was supposed to be sleeping or she'd never be able to pay attention in class in the morning. Not that she really needed to though. She had a good job already, to her anyway, though it was slightly illegal.

She created and sold android parts and software to people under the law. According to the recently passed law, all transactions pertaining to androids and the accessories needed to run them; software materials, parts, or the android itself, needed to be registered with the government.

Raine manufactured and sold parts through what was called the Decoloratio Venalicium, which was Latin for Discoloration Market. It was similar to the black market. Raine was careful so she didn't get caught. She used Android E.N.A. Series One, the very first model android that she'd made, to make the switch; money for items.

There was nothing about Android E.N.A. Series One that defined who the creator was which made it the ideal object in terms of secret drop trades.

Besides, it was much more fun to play with her creations. Her parents didn't know that she wasn't using the money her family sent for college and was instead using it to buy the tools and computer parts that she needed to make her inventions.

Raine ran her fingers through her black hair, feeling the greasy texture. She needed a shower. She hadn't had one in days. It must have been a month already since her last visit to the hygiene room.

Since Android E.N.A. Series Five had been nabbed by Li Xera, she'd been having so much fun decoding the secrets of the building by using her android's Plug-in ability that she hadn't really paid all that much attention to her hygiene.

She grinned coyly as she noticed something on one of the monitors. Aww, how sweet...someone is trying to hack into my tracking system. She thought looking at their attempts.

She knew she couldn't speak aloud or else her android would speak and she didn't want to shut the microphone off. Each shut off cost energy from both her work station and her android. That was a kink she had to work out yet. Let's give them a run for their money.

The largest, centermost television screen changed to a black screen with a green double greater-than sign with a green blinking vertical rectangle in front of it. Her eyes darted to a side screen quickly to check on her android. She reached across to the screen, tapping it with her finger. The image flickered momentarily before turning black and white.

"Artificial Intelligence activation process beginning." Raine heard the computer's voice say in her earphones. Seconds later, the computer's voice rang again. Raine kept one ear on the computer's status report, turning back to the main monitor, her fingers flicking across the glowing orange holographic keyboard.

The monitor began to quickly fill up with symbols, the green blinking rectangle always one step ahead of the letters, numbers, and symbols. "Artificial Intelligence activation processes malfunction. Power reserves are near depleted."

Her fingers stopping only briefly, Raine reached up to push a green button to turn off the microphone so that her android would not say what she spoke. "Computer, analyze and find out how many hours our little girl has left before moving to stand-by."

There was a small pause as the computer did the analysis, which Raine had expected. Raine's fingers went back to the keys and began typing again. "Android E.N.A. Series Five will move to stand-by in sixteen hours, forty-seven minutes, eight seconds."

"Thank you, Computer." Raine said, still speaking quietly. If she spoke loudly, her parents would hear and wake up. They were sleeping directly above her.

"If I may speak freely, Miss Okuna?" The computer asked.

"You may." Raine grinned, enjoying her computer's artificial intelligence. A computer normally could only be as smart as the user, but Raine had gone beyond that. She'd given her computer a means of thinking on its own, to create and hypothesize on its own.

Of course, there were override commands, just incase. Raine had also created a system firewall to prevent the computer from doing things on its own without verbal approval from Raine and both a fingerprint scan and an eye scan from Raine's palm terminal.

The computer didn't need these protections to be sure that it did nothing on its own; it was more a matter of Raine wanting to be sure that no one except her could tell her computer what to do. She knew that hackers could do almost anything, as she thought of herself as one.

"Android E.N.A. Series Five has not returned for twenty-nine days, seventeen hours, two minutes, thirty-six seconds, and eight milliseconds."

"I know." Raine admitted. "She'll be coming home soon."

"Android E.N.A. Series Five will not be able to function at maximum capacity for some days. Android E.N.A. Series Five will have to be either operated manually, or placed in stand-by mode. Android E.N.A. Series Five will deactivate completely if placed in Artificial Intelligence mode."

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." Raine typed the last of the commands, and then sent her 'get well card' on its way to the computer terminal that was trying to hack into her android's tracking system.

After that was done, she brought up the images that had been sent to her just before she got caught up in diverting a hacking attempt. Within a few seconds, she had an outline of what the finger had traced in the sink top. She turned the microphone back on and spoke quietly.

* * *

Shino cried out in frustration as the power went out. He slammed the file cabinet drawer he was looking in shut. It was getting dark out so the light streaming into the room through the windows didn't help at all.

He found it odd that even the backup generator did not come on. Carefully he made his way through the dark halls, listening to the confused shouts of everyone else in the SPD.

"Hey, what happened?"

"Who turned the power off?"

"It's probably the Seeds again! Aren't they the root of all our power problems? They probably blew another fuse!"

"Seriously this is ridiculous! Why can't they be put on a whole different breaker?"

The calls were all much similar to that, ranging from confused to just plain furious. He continued on his way towards the breaker room –something that it seemed no one else had in mind. When he got half-way there, he scowled inwardly at himself.

He had a flashlight connected to his belt, so why was he groping around in the dark? He took it out of its holder, turning the nozzle and shining the light ahead.

First he checked the backup generator, resetting it. That didn't bring the flood lights on. The generator was making its usual hum as though it were on, which confused Shino. With a sigh, he moved to the main circuit breaker and tried that. Everything read as "On".

"Oh, Takai, you're down here huh?" A tenor male's voice said from behind him. Shino turned around and saw one of the Seed's standing with a flashlight. It was Relic Johnson, a nineteen year old from America. He was a college student who had gotten a job with the Seed's because his uncle was the captain of the police department.

That didn't make him any less skilled at what he did though. Most of the Seed's were in their early twenties to late forties, yet still didn't match the skills of Relic. He had messy dark brown hair cropped to his earlobes that always had a greasy look to it.

Normally he wore a black baseball like cap on his head that said "US Marines" but today that hat was nowhere in sight. His white skin was slightly pinkish from too much sun, his bottom lip fuller than the top. His eyes were hazel colored, his figure lean yet muscular.

Every time Shino saw Relic, he was always surprised. Relic wasn't just some thin underfed scrawny nerd who wore coke bottle glasses.

"Yeah." Shino replied. "According to the breaker and the generator, everything checks out as on." He said. "What'd you guys do?"

Relic scowled. "We? Man, it wasn't me. They're blaming me since I'm the youngest, but I didn't do it. Opiwa and Tomyoak were trying to mess with a class C android and get into the androids system, to trace it. Whoever owns the thing must have noticed the activity, because they sent us a nice fat greeting."

"Class C?" Shino asked, crossing the room. As he began to make his way through the halls and back to the Seed's room, Relic fell in step beside him. "What's that mean?"

"Class C is the rank of the android. The lower the letter, the better the android. In other words, class A would be the best, and class Z would be the worst. They don't even manufacture class L through Z anymore." Relic ran his fingers through his hair, sighing. "I always get blamed." He muttered.

"So what class of androids were we using?"

Relic scratched the back of his neck. "We were using class H androids. Class A through D are illegal to use though except for in the use of military means."

"What do you mean by 'greeting'?"

"They sent us a giant counter-hack, a virus. This thing is huge." Relic paused in thought as they entered their destination.

Shino looked around the room. In the very center of the room was a holographic figure, the beams of light to create it seemed to come from every one of the computer monitors in the room.

The figure was hooded and cloaked much like the figures who would be holographic from the movie Star Wars. The entire thing was made of shades of green.

"Greetings." The holographs hollow voice echoed from every speaker in the room. There was no telling if the speaker was female or male. "Get well soon!"

After that, the message began to repeat itself. Shino frowned. "Johnson, can you do what you were doing from any other computer or do you need yours?"

Relic blinked. "Uh, I think I could use any computer..."

"I've got a laptop in my office. Get it working and find out who did this."

"Yes sir."

Relic hurried to get the laptop. When he had it, he began to set it up so that he could map-hack the location of the origination of the virus that had shut down the SPD.

* * *

Raine frowned when she saw another hacking attempt. This time, she instead started a "chat" with her would-be hacker. Basically, by chat, it meant that she would send files back and forth between herself and the would-be hacker. What she was doing was slightly like an IM.

Typing quickly, she wrote the instructions for the message. Then she wrote the message itself and sent it to her hacker. She created a name for herself so the hacker would have something to call her.

**I see what you are doing. Why does my android's tracking device interest you so much? If you do not respond within one hundred twenty seconds, I will send you a greeting card that you will not recover from. – Kitty **

Raine waited for the hacker to return the letter. Whoever they were, if they were smart they would take her seriously. She didn't take too kindly to people trying to invade her property.

**Kitty, nice name. Your last greeting shut down the entire SPD, did you know that? Please do not send another greeting card. We have not recovered from the last greeting. We are not interested in your android in particular, just in the whereabouts. – Ziggy **

Raine quirked an eyebrow. 'Ziggy?' She thought. 'What kind of name is that?' Of course, it was most likely not a real name. She smirked, remembering a boy from college, a sophomore, who went by that name more often than not.

**Ziggy? Amateur. I already know who you are. Relic Charles Johnson, nineteen, from France, brother serves as a US Marine. You're a Sophomore in college, and you work as a Seed for the SPD. You've got a two year old daughter... Is my information correct? – Kitty **

* * *

Relic's jaw dropped. "Who is this person?" He murmured. He was guessing the person must have been in their twenties or thirties, and female if their name was any indication. But that really didn't help.

He didn't dare start up his hacking just yet, not until he had created a net to catch the virus and isolate it. That took time, of which he did not have. He had no doubt that Kitty whoever that was, would send another greeting.

**That is correct. How do you know about me? – Relic **

It didn't really pay to continue to using an alias.

**I just know. I'm that way. Why do you want to know my android's whereabouts? – Kitty **

Relic ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. Shino walked into the office, his flashlight shining still. It was getting darker and darker in the building as the sun went further down.

**There has been a mass kidnapping. We think that the android might be among the sixty some who were kidnapped. – Relic **

"What are you doing?" Shino asked, looking at the screen that was filling up with miniature messages.

"I'm having a conversation with the creator of the android. Hopefully they'll give away some information that will lead me to them or else to the android."

**Oh, my android is with them. I have been monitoring things. – Kitty **

"A conversation huh? Monitoring things?" Shino scratched his scraggly beard.

**Will you tell me where your android is please? – Relic **

Relic ran his fingers through his hair again. "I guess so."

**I require payment for services rendered. Oh, there is so much information about all this that I know, my head could explode! Depending on how much you plan to pay me, in unmarked bills of course, I will give you information. – Kitty **

"Now we're getting somewhere." Relic muttered.

Shino scowled. "No we're not!" He started, but Relic raised his hand, waving Shino to stop.

**How much would one grand give me? – Relic **

* * *

Raine scowled, but not at the price that Relic had given her. On her monitor, she saw Li Xera enter the vault through her android's eyes. Men and women came after that. "Bunch into groups with either one or two children." She heard Li Xera's voice say.

There was an odd number of students with Yuri among the numbers now. Li Xera grabbed a silenced gun from one of the men, aiming it at Raine's android. "Don't take this personally, girl. You're just one to many."

The bullet was fired and the next thing Raine could see on the monitor was the ceiling and then Kagome Higurashi's worried face.

"Rin!" Kagome shouted. "Rin hang on!"

Raine heard the panic in the room. Raine knew that the "life fluid" that she'd made to keep the android from overheating would be leaking out of the bullet hole.

"Kagome, listen to me..." Raine spoke into the microphone, hurriedly. "Where am I shot?" This was a good thing that she'd sent the Android E.N.A. Series Five on the trip rather than allowing her twin to go. Sending the android had originally been to test connectivity between her android and her sister over long distances.

"Don't talk." Kagome said. Raine wanted to slap Kagome. She needed to know where Android E.N.A. Series Five was shot, because if it was shot in the generator core, it could explode, killing all of the students. Raine turned off the microphone, knowing by now wasting the energy was necessary.

"Computer, show me a scan of Android E.N.A. Series Five. Bring the scan up on monitor eight."

"Yes, Miss Okuna." The computer said. Monitor eight began to slowly load up, showing a body scans of the android. The generator core was fine, but if too much of the coolant leaked out, the generator core would overheat and eventually it would have the same effect.

"Begin remote shutdown of the generator core."

"Beginning remote shutdown of the generator core. Generator core will disengage in two minutes and counting."

Quickly she replied to Relic.

**Here is the arrangement. I will have a class F android waiting at the corner of Sixth and Main. Put the money in unmarked five dollar bills and ten dollar bills inside the android. No funny business either, I'll know immediately if you try anything. The transaction will take place in three hours. In return, I will tell you what you need to know. Are we in agreement? – Kitty **

**I do not have three hours. I need the information now. – Relic **

**Fine, if you do not have the money there in three hours, I will send a greeting that will completely disable all technological material and render all your data absolutely useless. – Kitty **

**You will have the money. Where are they? – Relic **

"Thirty seconds until generator core shutdown."

**They are being held at a place called The Gold Skin Bank, in a vault. They are being moved in groups of ones, twos, or threes to different airports around West City. After the exchange, it appears that Li Xera – the woman in charge of the kidnapping – will 'get rid of' the students. Li Xera will not personally be at the exchange. I am unable to obtain the information of where she will be, as I have turned my android off by remote. – Kitty **

"Twenty seconds until generator core shutdown."

Raine looked at the monitors, checking sensor readings of the android and making sure that the generator core wasn't overheating yet. No such luck, the generator core was in the first stages of overheating. But it didn't matter, because the generator core hadn't reached the third stage. It was still able to be disengaged by remote.

"Ten seconds until generator core shutdown. Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Remote shutdown of the generator core complete. Power to Android E.N.A. Series Five will suffer exhaustion in three seconds. One second. Android E.N.A. Series Five has atrophied power through the remaining Nexy fluid. Administering body cooling process. Twelve hours to completion."

**Do you have a contact address that I can use to get in touch with you if your information proves false? – Relic **

Raine's fingers zipped across the orange holographic keys. She figured that Relic must have had at least some experience with the Decoloratio Venalicium or he wouldn't have made a deal with her.

The deal probably would not be brought to his superiors since technically she was a criminal for sending a virus to anyone; the fact that it was a police department on the receiving end made it all the more wrong.

**I will set one up. Hold on. – Kitty **

Raine turned in her swivel chair, pulling up her jump-create program on another screen. The holographic keyboard went all the way around her, minus the small area where the 'door' was.

She'd designed jump-create specifically so she could do things from other computers by remote. She knew that as she created the account, she created it from not her computer, but from the remote location. In this case, she chose the computer that Relic was operating from.

He would think it odd when screens started popping up on his computer and he found he no longer had control over it. The account was created through syna, a less than known email server that by its own right was untraceable.

Most Decoloratio Venalicium deals were done through this server and it was managed by people among the mob, or so the rumors went. Still, she took the caution to create it from Relic's computer.

* * *

Relic stared at the screen in confusion. Shino did likewise, just as if not more perplexed than Relic, since he understood computers less than Relic.

The only thing he really knew how to do was use TrackFile to look up files electronically through the SPD network, things that had been entered into the system within the past thousand or so years since the internet had been created in the 1990's.

Relic scratched the back of his neck. "She must be good. She seems to be using this computer to set up the account."

"You shouldn't even be making this deal." Shino disapproved.

"But we really don't have any other leads." Relic countered.

Shino sighed, knowing that Relic was right. They had to act fast though. The trade was coming up quickly and if the person who deemed themselves 'Kitty' was correct, then Li Xera was planning to mass murder the students, and that would include his son, Medallion. He tightened his grip on his emotions.

He couldn't let fear get in the way of his work, or Medallion would be lost. "You're right." He admitted finally. He swiftly made his way out of the room, his intention clear. He was going to go and find his son. He took his cellphone/walkie talkie out and buzzed Lea. "Get all the planes leaving any airports around Tokyo to stop flights out."

"I'm on it." Lea promised.

* * *

Kagome tightened her hold on Rin, angry tears falling from her eyes. She wouldn't get up. She couldn't believe they had killed her friend. She heard the cock of gun hammer and felt as the barrel was placed to her temple.

Through blurry eyes she saw her arms getting drenched in a red fluid, seemingly too watery to be blood, but seriously what else could it be? Rather than feeling sticky or gooey on her skin, it felt greasy like vegetable oil or antifreeze.

But seriously, she didn't know why she was pondering these things. She had a gun to her head, held by a woman who obviously didn't care if she died or not.

"If you do not let her go I will shoot you."

A hand was placed on Kagome's shoulder, pulling her backwards just as the bullet was fired. Instead of killing her, it grazed her chin and embedded in her arm. She cried out in pain, but didn't allow Rin to drop. Kagome didn't know who pulled her out of the way.

Souta struggled to get out of his captors grasp, kneeing the man in the groin and rushed to his sister's aide. Several other students fought to get away as the realization that they weren't safe no matter who they were settled in.

Souta kicked the gun out of Li Xera's hand and it slid away. Before Li Xera could have a chance to react, since he didn't want to give her that chance, he swept her feet out from under her and pinned her down with his weight, holding her arms in place.

When it appeared he would be knocked off, Kohaku and Miroku also struggled over to help. Several shots were fired haphazardly and while a few shots missed and either went into a wall or else into the wrong target –be they captor or captive, most hit their targets: the students.

Medallion picked up the dropped gun, aiming it at Li Xera. "Put the guns away!" He yelled. No one listened. Medallion was shot in the back, the right shoulder blade. Through the noise of feral screams and shouts and gunshots, you couldn't hear the bullet crunching through bone. Medallion didn't allow himself to cry out or fall away.

He held his ground, moving the gun to his left hand and turning, aiming in the direction the bullet would have come from. That was when he saw the carnage. Bodies were everywhere, bleeding from somewhere on his body.

The captors were replacing magazine clips, one after another. Their plan for ransom fell apart completely when they shot Kagome's companion, Rin.

He aimed and fired off the remaining six bullets, one after another cocking the hammer when he needed to, all of them hitting the target he'd aimed for.

Six of the captors went down, shot in either the head or the heart. Li Xera was gone. She'd taken the confusion and battle as a great time to escape.

Medallion grabbed the gun of one of the men he'd shot, aiming again and trying his best to ignore the pain from his right shoulder. He could only be grateful his father had made sure he was as good a shot with his left hand as with is right hand.

"Best to be prepared." His father had always said. "Besides, if you are going to be an officer of the law, you'll want an early start, right? Consider this practice."

The gun only had three bullets left, but each one he shot hit their targets. After that, he searched the man for a magazine clip. He could see a few of the students who remained both conscious and alive doing the same as he; grabbing guns and firing at the captors, struggling to live.

There wasn't one person who hadn't been shot among the students, but like Medallion, they weren't about to give up their lives without a fight.

Even Karei Taisei wasn't just lying down easily. She had two bullet wounds, one in her leg and one in her stomach, but she was still able to kneel and fire off bullets with surprisingly good aim.

Kagome had been shot three times in the back it looked like plus the graze to her chin and the bullet in her arm. She was unconscious, or dead, Medallion couldn't really tell which yet.

Souta had been stabbed with a knife that still stuck in his shoulder blade and lay on the ground in a pool of blood. Medallion guessed that he must have been shot several times as well because the knife wound wasn't bleeding so much.

Kohaku was standing in front of Sango, who was unconscious, protecting her from more bullets while pummeling on a woman with his fists. The woman's arms were broken, making the gun useless.

He had a bullet in his foot making him less graceful than normal but he was still standing at least. Miroku was helping some of the unconscious -or dead- students out of the large room and placing them in the bathrooms to relative safety, not sure of what might lie in wait outside the open vault door.

Medallion couldn't tell where or if he had been shot because he had so much of everyone else's blood all over him.

Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were using their fists and the claws that Medallion knew they had to protect an unconscious Yuri. Several others like the two boys who were demon or part demon and were still alive and conscious had also removed their witch charms.

Of course, none of the students could do much more than kick and claw. They didn't have the age or experience to use anything other than that. It looked so far like they were using speed to avoid the bullets, but not all of them could be avoided, especially if avoiding it would endanger Yuri.

Finally, as sirens were heard blaring in the distance and blood loss began settling in amongst the students, rendering them unconscious, Medallion included in the numbers that fell, the remaining captors still alive and conscious made their escape.

When the police got there and began speaking over a loudspeaker for the kidnappers to give up, Miroku being the only remaining conscious being in the building, came out of the building holding his ribcage.

"Don't shoot!" He croaked when he saw people cocking their guns, ready to waste him in an instant. He tipped over then, falling flat on his face. Blood pooled around him. "H..help us..." He cried.

* * *

Shino couldn't bring himself to leave the hospital. His son lay in a bed, unconscious. Lea had done his job; breaking the bad news to the parents. Sunset Hospital, with its advanced technology that bested even Tokyo's hospitals, was filled to the brim with the sixty students.

All had been transported to Tokyo hospitals, and then flown to Sunset by helicopter. Three students were dead in the bank, one died on the way to Tokyo hospital, and one died on the way to Sunset.

Only one of the students who died was from Sunset Private Education School. The other four had been from Sunset Public School. The android had been taken to the police station to be examined for salvageable parts.

"Shino, please..." Lea said quietly, standing at his elbow. She placed a gentle hand on his back. It had been a week already since the entire event had taken place. They were working on looking for the remaining kidnappers but sifting through all the blood that had been in the bank was not easy. The vault was one big blood bath. There was literally speaking gallons of blood in it.

"He's my son, Lea." Shino said his voice devoid of emotions. He reached out and grabbed Medallion's unresponsive hand, taking it in his two, holding it to his forehead. "Hold on, Medal." He used the nickname from Medallion's childhood, tears springing to his eyes.

Medallion had been shot five times though it appeared that none of the bullets had hit any vital points. Still, he had lost a lot of blood and though it had been a week since the event, Medallion had not yet woken up.

"Shino..."

"Go, Lea. I need to be alone with my son now."

Lea nodded after a moment of hesitation and left the curtained area. The room was large, having many pleasantly colored yellow curtains hanging around beds. Not all were closed, but most were.

She saw her Aunt enter the room, wearing a business suit; jacket and skirt being pinstriped gray, the blouse mother of pearl. The jacket was not buttoned closed and the blouse was disheveled slightly the top buttons on it were undone.

A bit of skin showed rather unprofessionally through the undone buttons, but it didn't appear she cared about that. Her lips were adorned with light pink lipstick, hardly noticeable against her lips – a silent admission that she was not single anymore.

The rest of her make up was also in light pinks and just barely noticed, to show she was married, silently without actually saying anything. Generally when a woman married, they toned down the colors they wore so as not to attract so much male attention and make their husbands jealous.

In her hands she carried a box. She didn't look as upset as she had been when Lea had told her the news: Kagome and Souta were in the hospital, badly hurt. Lea was just thankful that she didn't have to tell Kali what she'd had to tell the parents of the Graeme triplets. Gytha Graeme had died.

Lea watched Kali walk with the box into one of the enclosures and shook her head. She left the hospital and went home. There was no point waiting around. There was much work to do.

* * *

Kali looked at her two children and pursed her lips. She swore she had twenty percent more gray hair than she should after the whole kidnapping affair, and Kagome and Souta were acting as though they were dead, rather than alive and just much wounded.

Their beds were placed almost next to each other's in the small enclosure, a chair in between the two of them. The monitoring equipment was there as well, only on the opposite side of their beds.

Kagome had bandages around her stomach and chest to keep the wounds on her back wrapped. There were bandages on her arm and her chin. Souta also had wrappings on his back and shoulders, then a cast on his right leg. A bullet had shattered the bones in his leg.

Kali moved forward with the box, setting it on the chair and taking out a stack of books and papers, setting them on Souta's bed. The second stack she set on Kagome's bed. She knew the psychology behind kidnapping victims.

She was, after all, a very well known psychiatrist, and she had patients who would see her once every month or two months coming from Tokyo and other places on other islands. Some of them were people who had been kidnapped, or other such situations.

She also knew what was best for her children would be to get them to talk about it. So far they wouldn't. The police would be coming to question them shortly, and she wanted to hear it first, but she would not pressure them to tell her.

"Here's the work you missed in school. I expect you to be caught up within the next week." It seemed harsh, but it really was for the best. Who better to know than a psychiatrist?

Kali had been able to convince all the parents to do the same for their children at the PAC meeting the night before. PAC stood for Parents Against Crime, and all of the parents who heard of it in Sunset had joined.

It was created during the time while all the children had been kidnapped to provide comfort to each other during the horrible time. It would be best to, for the time being, give their children something to do while in the hospital or else they could become depressed with nothing to think about but what went on during the kidnapping.

All of them would remember the happenings for the rest of their lives, she had no doubt, but it would lessen things if they could be free from the thoughts for the time being. If they only had a week to make up a month and a half of school work, there would be no time for thoughts other than the work.

"Mama..." Kagome said quietly. She was staring at her hands. Her eyes harbored sadness and anger. "The gold skinned woman...she killed..."

Souta said nothing. He stared at the pile of homework for a moment before grabbing it up and looking the work over.

Kali moved the box from the chair and sat next to the bed, looking at her children. She took one of each of their hands in hers. "Don't think about it." She said seriously. "There is nothing to think about but your work for now."

Yes, Kali wanted to know very badly what had happened, but she didn't want to hear it while Kagome was upset. She wanted Kagome to observe the situation first with her own opinion to bias herself, nothing more, and nothing less.

It was what every parent would be having their children do, if they were smart enough to take Kali's advice.

* * *

Relic scratched his head, getting the red colored body coolant in his hair from the android. He and Tomyoak were working on the android, seeing if it was salvageable at all, though he didn't like working with Tomyoak at all.

Tomyoak was the type of person who made you grit your teeth together in anger but you know you can't talk back or anything because he's higher in the chain of command than you are. Of course, Relic was the chief's nephew, but that did him no good with Tomyoak.

Practically everything was salvageable. It seemed like if they could get their hands on a type two Coolant Pump for the android, they could get it working again. But it was an amazing android in itself.

The generator was a remarkable piece of work, with two chambers for the coolant to enter from and two chambers for it to leave; extra precaution from over heating. The entire design of the android was so complicated, yet so simple.

Rather than the common Spider Web design where everything generally connects to a center point, this was based more off of the human body where there was a point where everything connected, but the point was not at the center.

Everything about the android was so realistic, it was unbelievable. Of course, the android had no facial features or gender give-a-ways, but that was reasonable considering after the coolant finished running its course through the android it would lose all feature programming. That was how things worked with androids.

Tomyoak was talking to himself again. Does he ever shut up? Relic wondered. Tomyoak kept talking. Guess not. Relic thought.

"Give me those pliers." Tomyoak ordered, holding out his hand.

Relic reached for the pliers on the table. "You've already torn the thing apart! Why are you going to wreak it?"

"Give me the pliers." He repeated, and Relic handed them over. "I swear, you don't know anything. Leave this to me...you just serve as my assistant and be a good boy and hand me things. Give me the saw."

Relic did. He sighed and handed it over, wincing sympathetically when he heard the saw grinding through the metal that made the 'bone' structure in the leg.

When all was said and done, Relic washed up and with a last sad glance at the dismembered android on the lab bed, he shut the lights off in the lab and locked the door behind him. Tomyoak had left him to clean up the lab.

It was just like Tomyoak to do something like that. Make a gigantic mess uselessly, destroy something that was salvageable making the thing no longer salvageable at all, and then get someone else to clean up.

Relic rubbed tired eyes, unlocking his apartment and kicking his shoes off by the door. "Sammy? Tea?" He called into the dark for his girlfriend and daughter. "Tiki?" Tiki was his cat, a tiny kitten his girlfriend had gotten him. Tiki was an Abyssinian. Relic loved the tiny cat. As he closed the door, Tiki ran up to him, her little collar bell jingling as she mewed.

The Abyssinian is a colorful cat with a distinctly ticked coat, medium in size and regal in appearance. The head is a modified, slightly rounded wedge without flat planes and should flow into the arched neck without a break. The ears are alert, large and moderately pointed; broad, and cupped at the base and set as though listening.

The eyes are almond shaped, large and expressive, being neither round nor oriental. A fine dark line, encircled by a light colored area should accentuate the eyes. The color of the eyes can be either gold or green.

The body is medium long, lithe, graceful with well developed musculature that is not coarse. The Abyssinian is fine boned and stands well off the ground giving the appearance of being on tip toe.

The tail is fairly long, thick at the base, and tapering. The coat is soft, silky, fine in texture, but dense and resilient to the touch. It is medium in length but must be long enough to accommodate two or three dark bands of ticking.

Tiki's coat was warm beige, ticked with various shades of slate blue, the extreme outer tip to be the darkest, with blush beige undercoat. Her tail was tipped with slate blue coloring.

The underside and inside of her legs were a tint to harmonize with the main color. Her nose leather was old rose, her paw pads were mauve, with slate blue between toes, extending slightly beyond the paws.

Relic took his coat off and hung it on the front door hook, bending down and gathering his kitten into his arms. "Hey Tiki." He said. "Where's Sammy and Tea at?"

He flipped the lights on in the kitchen and was surprised to find the kitchen spotless. Usually there were soup cups, takeout containers, dirty dishes, and the like laying around. His girlfriend never did the dishes or cleaned. The garbage was freshly changed.

The countertops were clean, not a speck of dust to them. The sinks were washed clean and empty. The dishes were replaced neatly in their proper cupboards. The kitchen smelled like Pine Sol, and was freshly cleaned.

Confused, Relic called out for his girlfriend again. "Sammy?" He walked into the living room, flipping the lights on. "Tea?" Again he was met with an abnormality. With a two year old daughter, it was hard to keep the place clean, but the living room was neat and orderly.

All Tea's toys were where they belonged in the toy chest. The room smelled like air freshener, not its usual dirty-cat-box smell. The carpet was vacuumed, the room was dusted, the T.V was not blaring like usual and was off, the bookshelf was done up in alphabetical order, even the many children's books were ordered.

Relic set Tiki down on the back of the couch, despite the kitten's protests and cries about wanting to be held. He walked into his and Sammy's bedroom and found it just as neat. There were not clothes everywhere.

The hamper was half-full of dirty clothes. The closet was painstakingly neat; everything that needed to be hung up was. Relic noticed there were none of Sammy's clothes in sight, not in the dresser, or the closet, or the hamper.

The bed was made up; the desk with Relic's computer on it was pristine and neat, polished to shine. He went into the next room: Tea's room.

The toys that usually littered the floor hazardously were no longer in sight, Tea's closet and dresser and hamper actually were able to close, and there were no clothes on the floor to speak of.

And in the center of the room, on the bed, was Sammy and Tea. Tea was sleeping soundly, her tiny thumb jammed into her mouth, her security blanket in her free hand clutching it to her closely.

Sammy sat on the edge of Tea's little toddler bed, her hands smoothing her short skirt, her hair in a neat bun –a hair style that Relic had thought Sammy hated. Sammy's American blue eyes and copper hair and her outfit...everything about her was perfect and Relic couldn't recall a time she had ever dressed up so much like that for him.

He smiled at her fondly before noticing the two suitcases at her feet. Two suitcases large enough for her to hold everything she held important, and yet small enough so she could carry them both.

Relic's smile was wiped away quickly when she stood from the bed and looked at him with serious eyes.

"I'm not ready for a child. I thought I was, but these past two years have proved me wrong." She said simply. Her voice was crisp, decided, but it wasn't meant to be hurtful. "I don't want to watch Tea while you go to school and work."

Relic's eyes widened as he realized what she was saying. "You don't have to." He said, panicking slightly. He couldn't imagine life without Sammy. "We can get a babysitter!"

Sammy shook her head slightly. "I can't be with you anymore. I don't love you."

Relic felt like his heart had just frozen over and was shattered into thousands of tiny slivers of ice. "You don't...love me?" He asked, his voice barely a whisper. He felt a tear making its way down his cheek as reality settled in.

Sammy picked up her suitcases and walked over to him. He was blocking her way out. "I'm sorry." She said, meaning it. "But if I kept pretending, it would only make the hurt worse in the end."

Relic knew she was right. She really was right about that. He grabbed her shoulders and kissed her, tears falling down his face. She never once responded.

His last hope crushed, he broke away from her, a strangled sob escaping his lips. It was a moment before he could get himself under control again, and Sammy waited patiently for him.

She wasn't trying to hurt him, but it was just wrong for them to trap themselves in a relationship that wasn't working. They had really only hooked up for Tea's sake. She waited for him to step aside in silence. She would not order him to. He had to make that decision on his own.

Relic nodded, and though he hated the idea of her leaving, he too knew that their relationship had fallen apart in the last year. He had known that it would come to this: either him breaking up with her, or her breaking up with him.

He had always thought it would be him though, and he had prepared himself to do so eventually. He knew that Sammy would have to be unhappy with him or else she would never do anything like this.

She had once told Relic that she took relationships very seriously. Relic was the first person she had ever broken a relationship with off. And Sammy was the first person to ever break off a relationship with Relic.

"Can I ask you one last thing then?" Relic spoke quietly, heartbreak making its way into his voice. He had never known it hurt so much to be broken up with. He had always been the one to make the final decision in all his relationships.

Sammy smiled then, the first smile on her face that evening. "One last thing." She agreed.

Relic took a deep breath and wiped tears away from his face. "I know...I know it sounds like a lame line in a movie but..." He looked at her, locking his eyes with hers. "Will you kiss me...one last time like you mean it?"

Sammy shook her head sadly. "I can't do that Relic." She told him, not trying to hurt him. She knew he was hurting though. She couldn't help that.

"Pretend I am someone else then." He begged. "Anyone else. But just one last kiss...?"

Sammy sighed and pecked his cheek. "I don't love you. I can't do it." She whispered. "I'm sorry."

Relic fought the tears, not wanting to cry. "You are leaving Tea?" He asked, unaware of the grief in his voice.

She nodded. "Yes." She said. "But I am not leaving the city. I'm going to help you take care of her. I know I am not ready for a child, but I'll work, I'll send you money, and I will come to visit her. I won't be coming to visit you."

He nodded his acquiescence and took her face in his palms, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'm sorry it came to this." He uttered before releasing her, stepping aside and running a hand through his slightly greasy hair. "You have everything?"

She shook her head. "No. I will come back for the rest once I've settled in my apartment."

"That... that's fine." He walked with her to the door. Of all his breakups, he had to admit, this was by far the best. Not that it was good or anything. It hurt like a bitch. But there were no threatening words; there was no shouting, and no aggression. There was only understanding.

Sammy smiled at him. "Goodbye, Relic." She said.

"Goodbye Sammy." He whispered, and watched as she walked towards the elevator.

His mind wandered to the person who called themselves 'Kitty'. Relic added something to that description just then.

**You've got no girlfriend...and a broken, bleeding heart. **

* * *

Raine looked down at her sleeping twin. Rin lay in a metallic bed that was similarly shaped like a dentist's chair that the patient would sit in. The chair was in reclining position at the moment.

Raine had created the bed from spare parts and had made sure it was perfected before Rin's transformation. Rin would have been dead long ago, if Raine had not stepped in.

It took two years to convince the government that Rin would never want to be a vegetable and would rather be half-machine. They only agreed with it when they realized Rin only had one hope: become half-machine, or die.

Raine had also agreed to keep the government informed of Rin's status every so often. If she was late in getting the status report to the government any one time, Rin would have to be registered with the government so they could monitor her –which would take away Rin's freedom completely.

Raine had created the bed in accordance with Rin's body. It fit her perfectly, but since becoming a Cyborg, Rin was unable to grow. Raine was six inches taller than her twin, though both were seventeen,

Rin was only four feet eight inches tall, while Raine was five foot two inches. When Raine thought about the growth situation with Rin, she knew it was a good thing.

Raine didn't have the money or equipment to construct another maintenance bed if Rin suddenly was unable to fit. Raine hadn't thought to make it so that it could fit anyone of any size.

She turned to the monitor, smiling slightly. The monitor was placed on a stand next to the maintenance bed. It showed scans of Rin's body, showing what was working properly and what (if anything) wasn't working properly.

At the moment, Rin was completely fine. All systems checked normal. Their foster parents did not know, or did not want to know, that Rin was a Cyborg and the government had kept it a secret it seemed.

After the accident that had killed Rin and Raine's birth parents and crippled Rin, then after Rin becoming a Cyborg, the government had placed Rin and Raine in the Legume family (after many other families did not work out).

Rin and Raine never truly accepted the Legume's, but the Legume's had accepted them, and were constantly sending money to Rin and Raine so the girls could buy what the wanted. Raine and Rin had been to many different families and they had to admit that the Legume's were the best yet.

Raine smiled and turned back to her sister, bending down at her sister's side and brushing a finger through Rin's hair. The test with the android had been a success mostly.

When Rin wanted to, she could connect with an android and control it even better than Raine could with her computer terminal, making a class C android almost as good as a class B. Raine wasn't going to put that in the next report to the government though. The government wasn't asking for such tests to be done, yet anyway.

But just because Rin was a Cyborg now, didn't mean she was any less human. She was very human. She needed food, water, and excreted wastes.

She just didn't need as much sleep, and electricity gave her added energy rather than electrocute her (thanks to the E.C.C. inside Rin, which stood for Electricity Compressor Component that would protect her from being killed if something happened to break or malfunction -the E.C.C. absorbed the electricity that came from the broken or malfunctioning part and turned it into safe energy), some of her body was mechanical...okay; most of her body was mechanical.

Half of her brain was mechanical, a lot of her bones and joints had been replaced with mechanical ones, and her eyes were mechanical. It seemed creepy, but it gave Rin a chance at a new life when she would have died.

Raine hadn't wanted the only true remaining part of her family to die, and when she saw what the government had been able to do with Rin; giving her new life had inspired her to work hard to make her career one in electronics, or more specifically androids.

Rin opened her eyes turning her head to look up at Raine, reaching a hand up to grasp Raine's wrist. It was amazing how nothing about Rin felt or looked mechanical. The eyes, wide and brown, looked perfectly real and as normal as Raine's own.

"Yes, Rin?" Raine asked, her voice low.

Rin just smiled. "I believe Kagome is going to want an explanation...she thinks I am dead."

Raine shrugged, smiling at her sister. "When we get that far, we can worry about it then. There are still a few days before she is released from the hospital."

Rin nodded. "Alright. Thanks for talking me out of going on that trip. I would have been killed."

Raine shook her head. "I don't want to hear it." She said, going over to her bed in the basement. The Legume's never came into the basement, so the two never had to worry about being found out.

Rin blushed. "Sorry... I keep forgetting you said not to apologize all the time." She apologized, and then squeaked embarrassedly. "Sorry I apologiz— I mean sorry I said sorry..."

She trailed off when Raine waved her hand dismissively and turned bright red with her embarrassment. She had apologized three times.

Raine giggled. "Don't worry about it." She said. "Don't stick your foot in farther than it already is."

Rin relaxed in her bed before reaching towards the panel by her chair, touching it a few times in the corner to view the different scans and check to be sure she was alright. After that, she relaxed again and the two girls drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Sesshoumaru woke, exhausted. He'd drifted off to sleep, working on his school work. He had yet to see his father or stepmother, not that he was complaining about not seeing Nekura, or that he thought his father had finally taken an interest in what happened to his children, but it would have been nice to see someone had taking an interest in their well-beings. He didn't get his hopes up though.

He sighed. The hospital room was dark. The sounds of slow steady beeping were coming from the many monitors that each person in the room on a bed was hooked up to. He looked at the tubes sticking out of his arms.

One was connected to an I.V. bag; the other was replenishing his blood. He heard the doctors say that after that some of the other students were already taken off the blood bags and only had I.V.

He looked to his sides, seeing his sister on one side of him, and his brother on the other. He was still mad at his father for never paying the ransom for his sister.

When she had disappeared so long ago, he'd thought that Yuri had been killed, and his father had always led him to believe that their (his and Yuri's) mother had died giving birth to him and Yuri. Apparently that was not so.

His mother was in jail, and before that, she had not been allowed to see Sesshoumaru and Yuri.

Sesshoumaru heard quiet whispers nearby and looked around. All the curtains were pulled back so that doctors could easily manage the night shift and if there was a change in someone's condition they wouldn't have to search all the curtains for the one who was in trouble.

"Oh shut up, Miroku." He heard. "I can't believe of all the people they put me by it has to be you, you lecher!" He saw Sango whispering angrily. Kohaku was laughing as quietly as he could.

He turned his attention away when he saw someone in his peripheral vision. Kagome was across the room from him, watching him it seemed. His heart raced momentarily before he realized she wasn't watching him, but was drifting to sleep. He blushed. 'Do I always get my hopes up?' He wondered.

He let himself drift to sleep then again.

A week later found most the students either in a wheel chair or on crutches. Some of the students hadn't been all that bad so they got away with just having a sling or a few bandages. The worst off of all the students had been Gytha Graeme, who had died, but the rest of the students were well on their way to recovery.

Kagome and Souta were happy to be home, but neither of them could make it to their rooms so their mother hung a curtain up on the living room entrance so that the two could share that for the time being. Upon coming home, the two teens were met with a warm welcome home.

Karei –although grudgingly- and May and Hakudoushi were waiting there. Karei had only been in the hospital for a week before being released. Also waiting was the gardeners and their families. Coming as no surprise to either of the two teens, Naraku was no where to be seen.

Still, the little welcome home party did not last long. It was about an hour into it that Kali saw how tired her children and Karei were getting, so she shooed everyone away, sending May and Hakudoushi along with Karei.

Under the strict watch of Kali, the two teens ate and then prepared themselves for a weekend of lounging in the living room watching television and eating popcorn and snacks.

Kagome couldn't get Rin off her mind all weekend. She and Souta used their cell phones to call their friends and chat when they were excessively bored and didn't feel like talking to each other.

When Monday came around, Kagome sighed. Kali helped her children get ready. Souta needed a bit more help than Kagome considering his leg was in a cast but soon they were ready to go and Kali drove them to school.

Having been shot in the back so many times, Kagome used a wheel chair, and Souta did as well, with his broken leg and shot up back and stabbed shoulder.

Kagome and Souta wheeled themselves into the commons and found there was absolutely no change in how her fellow students treated her and Souta.

Karei actually said hello to them pleasantly when they passed her while she was alone, but right after that she found her friends and began talking bad about them and saying everything they did wrong through the whole ordeal.

"Hey, Trip, Perv, Thief." Kagome and Souta greeted their friends. Kikyou came over to their little group, using crutches. Miroku wasn't bad enough to need crutches or a wheelchair, so he took all the time he could feeling up Sango and then skipping away since she was in a wheel chair and had no reaction time. Kohaku was on crutches as well.

"Hello." Kikyou said pleasantly. Kikyou wore the school uniform and a smile. Obviously she was determined to forget everything that happened, but her eyes told Kagome she had yet to forget.

Sango wore a pink hooded sweatshirt with baggy blue jeans, her normal high ponytail, and her normal makeup. Kagome guessed that she still wore her locket. Kohaku wore a pair of jeans, since it was rather cold out in October, and a plain black unzipped zip up sweater with a black tee-shirt underneath it. Miroku wore jeans and a black turtleneck underneath a purple tee shirt.

Kagome wore a simple outfit. Black tank top and army green baggy jeans. Souta wore a hooded sweater and a pair of shorts, saying that it was supposed to get warmer later on.

Rin never came, of course. None expected her to, unless they expected the dead could walk.

First period Sesshoumaru smiled, taking his normal seat. Again he had a perfect view of the object of his crush. But today she didn't laugh or smile. He didn't like to see her sad. Ms Saeko was apologizing for what happened and had treats for everyone and allowed them to just lounge around for the hour, but told them that they would still have to do a mural among their groups.

At lunch time Kagome received a phone call on her cell. She answered it and hand to plug one ear to hear the person on the other end. "Hello?" She said into the phone.

"Kagome." Kagome barely heard the person on the other end. They were quiet.

"You're going to have to speak louder!" Kagome yelled. No one noticed the change in the volume of her voice. Over the noise of the cafeteria, it was a wonder that anyone could hear themselves think much less another person.

"Kagome, it's me Rin! Rin Okuna!"

Kagome froze. "What?! Who is this?! What kind of sick joke is this?!" Kagome said. She looked at Miroku. "Hey, Miroku, wheel me to the music wing, would you? I can't hear a thing!"

Miroku shrugged and began pushing Kagome towards the music wing.

"It's no joke, Kagome! I swear it isn't! I was taken to a hospital in Tokyo and I'm still here. My sister came and so I'm calling on her cell phone. I just wanted to see how you were doing. They said that a lot of people were sent to Sunset hospital, and I heard you got out the other day, so I wanted to call, but they wouldn't let me and now,"

Kagome interrupted the breathless voice on the other end with a comment of her own. "So you're okay? I thought you were dead! How are you feeling?" Kagome asked.

"I'm alright. They won't let me leave the hospital yet though. I don't know how I'll ever catch up in school!"

Kagome chuckled, relieved. She had felt guilty that she hadn't been able to protect Rin.

"I'm glad you're okay." She said honestly, though she had no idea that Rin was lying to her and was in fact just on the outskirts of Sunset and not even using a phone to call, rather using her ability to connect long-distance with electronics and talking that way.

Everything she was saying was a lie, minus the fact that she was alright and that she was indeed Rin Okuna. Also she did want to know how Kagome was doing and everyone else.

"How is everyone else?"

"They're fine. Want to say hello to Miroku?"

"Oh, no, no." Kagome thought she heard embarrassment in Rin's voice and chuckled.

The bell rang. "Hey, Chicky, why don't you give Sango and everyone else a call later on? They'd like that. But I've got to go okay?"

"Okay, I'll see you soon, hopefully! Bye," was the bright response on the other end of the line.

Kagome smiled and hung up after a quick goodbye. "That was Rin." She told Miroku. "She's alright." Her smile stayed in place as she made her way to Fifth period. Miroku would tell the others if he saw them. She could tell Kohaku and Kikyou in Fifth hour.

Kohaku kissed Kagome on the cheek when he joined her at their normal table in fifth period. Mrs. Zeishun smiled pleasantly at the class. Behind her was a line of offline baby-androids, just as there had been two months before.

"Welcome back, my ducklings!" She chirped. "I've a wonderful surprise! Because will be re-doing the parenting unit."

Kagome's eyes snapped to Mrs. Zeishun. "You'd better give us better groups!" retorted Kagome. "I'm not working with Nokugami again!"

Mrs. Zeishun shook her head. "I'm sorry, Miss Higurashi," though she did not at all sound sorry. "The groups were chosen not by me this time, but by the headmistress. So you will work with who you are assigned, and you will get along."

"How can we do this?!" Karei yelped, agreeing with Kagome. "Half of us are crippled!" she waved her hand pointedly at the class, showing many of the students on crutches or in a wheelchair.

"Calm down Miss Taisei. We've much to do, and we can get no where with you screaming and shouting at the top of your lungs." Mrs. Zeishun said firmly. "Before you argue, you will listen to me."

Karei sat down, only to find another person arguing the point. "It's not right!" Hiten called. "I've still got tons of make up work from being absent to do and this'll take time away!"

Mrs. Zeishun looked calmly at her fingernails, tapping a foot on the floor in exaggerated patience while students called out their arguments. "I've a thing to tell you all." she snapped furiously after five minutes of listening to the student's harping at her.

"So sit down and shut up!" Student after student closed their mouths and opened their ears. "You will be paired with someone from outside this class for the project. And you will like it." She added with a glare towards Kagome. Kagome returned the glare with one of her own. She didn't like the sound of it.

"The project will begin in November on the fifth, and will last until January the fifth when we come back from holiday vacation. This gives you the rest of October to recuperate and shed your disabilities."

The teacher continued. "In accordance, it also gives you the rest of October to get to know the person you will work with a little better before you are thrown into the project. You will be required to stay at each other's homes three times each and yes, I have already made sure this is okay with your parents. They have agreed to watch you and your partner and be sure you are doing what you should be, and not goofing off."

Mrs. Zeishun walked to the ringing phone and picked it up. After a few quick exchanges of words with the person on the other end, she hung up and put a hand on her hip, turning to her students again.

"While we wait for your partners to get here, I want everyone to write a list of five things they're hoping their partner will be, while I hand out to you what your partner is looking for. You may not remove the masking tape to uncover the names, so don't even bother. Begin."

While Kagome had wanted to argue, she didn't. At least she wouldn't be put with Sesshoumaru, she thought, though she had liked the kiss between him and her. Kohaku couldn't kiss with so much emotion; neither could Miroku or Medallion –though the kiss with Medallion had been forced.

She pulled out a piece of paper from her perforated notebook and the pencil that she kept jammed in the spine of the notebook, setting the tip to the paper. Before she had realized what she'd done, she'd drawn a detailed sketch of a stack of lunch rolls taking up a corner of the page.

"Kagome..." Kohaku said, his voice breathy next to her ear, his lower lip brushing her earlobe. She shivered, but not from the cold. The feelings she had for him were still strong, and he sent a fire racing through her veins.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders in a half hug, his list already written. She loved how he said her name; loved the way it rolled off his tongue as though it were the only name he ever wanted to or would say.

"I know you don't want a stack of lunch rolls from your partner." He whispered, ruining the moment with a lighthearted joke.

Free of the spell that had previously made her unable to think of anything but him, she glared at him half-heartedly. "And how do you know what I want?" She asked as quiet as he had been so as not to attract Mrs. Zeishun's attention. "For all you know, I might have low standards like those Tokyo sluts with no honor or dignity."

Kohaku gave her a chaste kiss. "You're never like that." He said to her. "If you are, then I'll know why." He threatened, a serious look in his eyes betraying his joking tone. Kagome knew what he meant by that.

She smiled at his concern, then turned to her paper and stared at it for a moment, feeling hungry still even after lunch. Quickly she scrawled down five things she'd like her partner to be, hoping that by some odd chance she would get Miroku or one of her few male friends in the school. She didn't think that guys would be paired up, though the headmistress had proved herself to be rather unpredictable in many events.

_One. I would like my partner to not be a rich-boy. _

She hated the thought of someone looking down on her because they had more money than she did. Just because she lived on a larger estate did not at all mean that she was living a high life.

_Two. I would like my partner to be good at conversations. _

Without the boy being able to hold conversations at the dinner table, or anywhere else for that matter, Kagome would scream when she had to stay at their house.

Of course, their parents would probably be there to help conversation along at dinner time, to poke and prod their child into speaking, but being able to have a nice conversation would be nice.

_Three. I would like my partner not to have a girlfriend. (For my safety of course, I don't need a jealous girlfriend biting my head off.) _

She added the bit in the parenthesis because she didn't know if she would be healed by the time the project started, but she did know that the girls in SPES were very possessive and if pressed would easily swing themselves into a catfight with anyone who threatened to take away their boyfriends.

The guys in the school had even made it a sport, sometimes egging the girls on and then turning around and making bets on who would win or lose. If she was still in a wheelchair that would not at all stop the girlfriend from attacking her, and Kagome would pretty much be beat.

She stopped a moment, trying to think of what next to write. She needed two more and then she'd be done. She could see why Mrs. Zeishun had only asked for five things. Kohaku was the only one done. The rest of the class was having extreme difficulty thinking of five things.

Most of those around Kagome and Kohaku's table were only up to number three, as was Kagome. It was hard to think of what she'd like her partner to be, especially with the added pressure of not knowing who her partner would be.

She couldn't say she wanted someone kind for the first thing and she wanted someone sweet for the second one because essentially, if she stripped it down to the basics, those two things were the same. The same went for "good" and "nice" and "romantic" and "beautiful" and "handsome".

All of those were essentially the same exact thing. Perhaps not so much "beautiful" compared to "nice", considering those could be very different things entirely.

_Four. I would like my partner to be willing to cooperate with me in parenting. _

Kagome smiled grimly, having her last one in mind already. She scrawled it down and snatched Kohaku's list, reading it. Kohaku did the same for hers, reading hers with shaking shoulders as he held back laughs.

Kohaku's list was basic. What he wanted in his partner was someone with sapphire blue eyes, black-blue hair, full pink lips, a "decent sized rack" as he so kindly put it down on paper, and for his last thing he wrote "I want a girl not one of those guys pretending to be girls".

Kagome chuckled. "Nice list, Trip." She whispered, trading his list for hers again.

He grinned. "I especially like item number five on your list, my beauteous pearl."

Kagome returned his grin with a small blush, remembering the kiss between Sesshoumaru and her. She had enjoyed that way too much. It had sent fire through her body like nothing she'd ever felt before.

Kohaku saw that blush and questioned, "Did something happen between the two of you, Kagome?"

Kagome shook her head, lying through her teeth. "No."

Kohaku narrowed his eyes, sending a glance at Sesshoumaru who was at the front of the room hunched over his paper. He waved to the fifth thing on her list. "Then what is the need for this?"

Still, he kept his voice low. No one at the surrounding table would bother to listen to their little conversation. "You can't lie to me, Kagome. I know you too well. Something did happen."

After that, he didn't have to ask any more to know she was about to tell. She hated to lie to him and worse yet, she knew that he knew she hated to lie to him and always parted with the truth before too long.

Just before she spilled the information though, Mrs. Zeishun gave her a distraction. The distraction was in the form of a piece of paper with a list of five things on it.

Now rather than telling Kohaku what had happened, she shook her head, her resolve strengthened as Mrs. Zeishun's presence reminded her that she and Kohaku were not the only ones in the room.

Others were there too; including the one who she'd kissed and enjoyed that forbidden kiss as well. Kagome knew he had enjoyed it as much as she had. The question was whether or not he had pretended she was someone else, or had it actually been Outcast Kagome who he'd enjoyed kissing?

She didn't know all the answers, but she'd thought about that kiss many times over the past two months. She couldn't tell Kohaku. If she did, someone else might hear, and rumors spread like wild fires. Quickly, and terribly. She knew that all too well.

Kohaku sighed. Kagome had noticed that since the kidnapping ordeal, he had calmed down quite a lot. He was no less of a lecherous boy. He stole kisses from Kagome at every chance he could in the vault and at school.

That weekend Kagome had received eight phone calls from him alone, and they had been long ones. It was that he wasn't quite as dramatic anymore since the kidnapping. Kagome believed he had really been scared that he would lose her in there when she'd been in seizure so often.

Mostly what he said that was overdramatic these days was more in the company of the whole group, and Kagome knew he forced himself to be that way or else Sango would worry about him. Before the kidnapping, nearly everything Kohaku would say was dramatic.

Now Kohaku turned Kagome's face towards him with his long nimble fingers, pulling her into a kiss. His smile, the love in his eyes, the passion and fear and love in the kiss; all this made Kagome feel bubbly inside.

He'd never kissed her like that before and she liked it. For the first time in two months, the kiss between her and Sesshoumaru evaporated all but completely from her mind and she welcomed the change. She succumbed to him and returned the kiss with a soft passion of her own.

Her heart beat against her chest rapidly. But almost as soon as it started, it was over. Kagome smiled dreamily at him and he smiled back. For that one moment, the rest of the world was of no consequence; as though time had stopped for the two of them, and now it was picking up again.

The rest of the students had not noticed what had gone on between the two occupants sitting at the very far table at the back of the room. They had been too wrapped up in their work, trying to find something to put down on the paper that they hadn't looked around.

Kagome and Kohaku had made not a single sound, and Mrs. Zeishun had disappeared from the room after she'd finished handing out the papers to the students.

When she was able to think clearly again, Kagome turned to the list the other student had made, the one who was to be her partner for the project. She couldn't tell which kiss she liked better anymore. The one she'd shared with Sesshoumaru, or the one that had just taken place between her and Kohaku.

Kagome concentrated on the paper in her hands. Her eyes scanned the page. It was simple enough. Her partner wanted: "1. A female partner, 2. someone who has brains, 3. someone who won't cling to my arm like a leech, 4. someone who could easily solve the equation A equals X plus Y plus Z, and 5. someone nice."

Well, Kagome had the first through the fourth covered for sure at least. Numbers two and four were essentially the same thing, somewhat.

The answer to number four was Albert Einstein and his quote "If A is a success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut."

_Number five might be a bit hard for her to handle_ depending on who her partner was. The school was enormous, so the possibilities were somewhat endless. Kagome was nervous because from the way Mrs. Zeishun had described it, it seemed like headmistress had chosen the names without the bias of the student's lists.

When Mrs. Zeishun had returned, she led a group of students. While the students lined up at the front of the room, Mrs. Zeishun collected the lists that the students had written and gave them to their counterparts.

Once that was done, she briskly clapped her hands together twice. "Children, children." She said, the claps accenting each word. The students at the desks looked up from the conversations they had been having with their desk mates and sat quietly.

It seemed that everyone was hesitant to anger Mrs. Zeishun that day, considering she'd blown up at them already and apparently had given out five detentions before lunch – a nominal world record for her normally impassive nature.

The students at the front of the room were looking over their lists, checking the names at the tops of the papers. Inuyasha was one of the students, and the hand holding the paper trembled. Whether it did from anger or whatever was uncertain.

Mrs. Zeishun turned to the students who had just arrived and stood at the front of the room. "Please, join your counterparts at their tables." She said her hand waving to indicate the larger part of the room where the desks were.

The students scattered slowly, looking around the room to find who was who and match the paper with the creator. Kagome soon found herself facing Inuyasha Nokugami. Her eyes bulged and she growled angrily.

The fifth reason on her list had been "Not a Nokugami" in the exact words she'd put it. Fate had decided to toss her a curve ball, and at the same time, smack her in the face with a trout. It was a comical thought, but it did not amuse her.

"You have the rest of the hour to talk to your equivalent." Mrs. Zeishun said, and then added as a second thought, "For all who don't know, equivalent means 'counterpart'." She sat at her desk, not to be disturbed for the remainder of the hour.

Kagome groaned and Kohaku patted her shoulder sympathetically. He at least had gotten someone tolerable. Padilla Sturm was a nice enough person, even if she was rather quiet. Kagome only smacked her forehead on the table once before a quickly forming headache warned her not to do it again or it would certainly punish her.

"Trip, headache meds?" Kagome asked quietly. This was going to be a long rest of the hour. Kohaku handed over two and his water. Kagome downed the pills and rubbed her temples, concentrating on Kohaku's voice as he talked quietly with the silent Padilla Sturm, his voice soothing her nerves.

Finally, she looked back up at Inuyasha. He didn't seem too pleased with the situation at all. In fact, he might have been even less pleased than her.

"You won't last long." Both said in unison, and then looked startled that they'd just shared the same thoughts.

Kagome frowned. "If your girlfriend kills me, I'll haunt you for the rest of your life."

Inuyasha grinned, startling her by the cheerful tone of his voice. "That's okay. She broke up with me anyway."

Blinking, Kagome scratched her head. "And that's a good thing?" She asked, surprised she was attempting to carry on a decent, non-aggressive conversation with him.

He nodded. "Yeah. She's like a leech. The only reason I said I'd go out with her is because she cried."

"Soft spot for female tears huh? Hmm...that could prove useful." Kagome chuckled.

"I'm immune by now. Or at least, I ought to be." He amended. With all the 'fangirls' he had, of course he would want to be immune.

"We'll find out, won't we?"

Inuyasha pointed to the sketch of lunch rolls on the paper that her list was on. "I don't think I can get you these." He said, grinning.

"Well, it's good to know you're not as stiff as your brother." Kagome muttered darkly. "He's impossible to work with." But he's a good kisser, she thought.

Inuyasha wiped sweat from his brow. He'd just come from gym, Kagome guessed. "He's not as bad as you think." She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Really, he's not."

"Alright, then you try raising an android-baby with him and see how well you two get on then."

Inuyasha made a face. "Man, its bad enough that I have to live with him. Raising something is definitely out of the question."

Kagome laughed outright. "We'll get on just fine, you and me." She said as the bell rang, dismissing the students for seven minutes before the next class started. She began to wheel herself out of the room, her books in her lap, when Kohaku called for her to wait for him.

"I'd like everyone involved in this project to report here on Friday, November fifth for the distribution of the androids." Mrs. Zeishun called to the class as they all dismissed.

Kohaku and Kagome either wheeled or crutched themselves to band. Kagome had to stop at her locker to retrieve her violin and music, placing her books in her locker, and they were in the band room quickly after that.

Kagome was tuning her violin when Sesshoumaru sat next to her, in the seat he normally sat in before the entire ordeal had happened. Gytha Graeme used to be the violin's section leader, but with her death had come promotion.

Sara or Sethy, Gytha's sisters, would normally have been promoted in Gytha's stead, but no one had ever expected Gytha to be murdered either. Sara and Sethy were acting as stand-in for Gytha for the time, but their puffy eyes and tear-smudged cheeks and the determination in the way they set their chins as they looked at Kagome and Sesshoumaru proved they were up to something.

In the first ten minutes of class, normally the sections would meet with the leaders to talk over parts that needed to be worked on in certain pieces.

Half of the band had been missing during the field trip, and almost the entire violin section had been on the field trip. The band was far behind in practice and there was a concert on the fifth of November already.

As the sections met, the violinists all looked to Sethy and Sara. "Are you okay?" one of them asked sympathetically.

The two Graeme triplets smiled bravely. "Yes, thank you." They said together.

Sara took a deep breath. Her eyes searched each of the faces of each and every one of the violinists. "We'd like to call for a secret ballot in the matter of section leader." Sara said quietly, though everyone among the group heard her.

"Neither of us wants to be section leader." Sethy continued.

Kagome crossed her arms over her chest. "Then you must nominate two people to vote between." She said quietly. She uncrossed her arms and took the stack of music from Mr. Bemis, the band director, and took one of each song, handing the stack to the person next to her so they could get their music and pass it on.

Sethy nodded grimly. "We know you will not like who we have chosen, but we have thought it over carefully and discussed it with each other. Gytha had—" her voice caught in her throat momentarily before she pressed on "—I know Gytha had been one of the best violinists here. She'd been chosen section leader for her competitive nature as well as her skill. But Sara and me, we're not cut out for the job. We'd be hard put trying to do so well."

Sara continued, and though tears stood in both the girls' eyes, they did not let them fall. "The secret ballot will be decided between Kagome and Sesshoumaru." Sara glanced at those students who had not been on the field trip.

"And before you judge Kagome on Taisei's rumors, you might look past that. She's a nice person. She stood up for us all."

Kagome smiled slightly at Sara and Sethy as Sethy nodded her agreement to her sister's words. "You flatter me." She said quietly, a wry smile on her face. "I did what I had to, in order to protect my territory."

Everyone in this group who had been on the trip knew of Kagome's ongoing battle with SPS, and Kagome had always had their confidence that they would not run and tattle on her. Just as they had her confidence that she would protect them if they asked.

"But every word is true." Sethy said. She took a handful of small pieces of paper from her pocket and gave one to each of the group members. "Do you two accept the nomination?"

Kagome nodded. Sesshoumaru did as well. As the nominee's, they could not vote. That left eight members to the numbers who did vote. Four were on Sesshoumaru's side, and four voted Kagome in.

When the matter could not be resolved easily, Kagome groaned and Sesshoumaru sighed. They spared a glance at each other. Both found the other to be as exasperated by the event as their counterpart.

Kagome knew the two Graeme girls were pushing themselves. They hurt sorely over the loss of their sister. Finally a decent idea was brought to the group. The ten minutes were almost up, and most people were finding their seats among the other sections.

"Why not ask Mr. Bemis?" One of the girls asked. This was the girl that had asked the two triplets if they'd be alright at the beginning of the class. Her name was Mai Hashing.

The boy, a freshman by the name of Sweden Hart, sitting next to Mai nodded. "That's a good idea. He could decide the last vote, since he isn't discriminatory against either one of them like we are." His cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he ducked his head. It was obvious of what he spoke: He didn't like Kagome.

Sara nodded and went to Mr. Bemis, asking his opinion. Mr. Bemis, having many other things on his mind at the time, yelled at her that he couldn't be everywhere and ordered her back to her section. "Class is starting already! You can deal with this afterwards! It's bad enough half the band has just barely received the music!"

Sara sighed. "I thought this would be a good idea." She muttered.

Sethy patted her sister's shoulder disappointedly.

Kagome would gladly have just stepped down to allow Sesshoumaru the position, but it was against the rules. It just wasn't how things were done. She had accepted the nomination, figuring Sesshoumaru would get all the votes in the first place. She had been wrong.

Mai, ever helpful Mai with all her ideas, said, "I know, why not have both of them share the position! This way if one is sick, we're not totally at a loss."

The others thought this was truly a great idea, but Kagome could see many flaws in it. It wasn't that a shared position had never been done before in the band, in fact most sections did have two already and that worked out great.

But that meant that practice sessions with just the violin section would have to be coordinated by both of the section leaders. In other words, Kagome would have to converse often with Sesshoumaru.

This put him and her together often, trying to figure out what to do with the violin section. Before she could fill in her objections to this, she was overruled by eight eager violin players.

While Sesshoumaru secretly congratulated himself on the promotion, though he of course kept his face void of emotion, Kagome grumbled about the change.

Band lessons began and Kagome found herself wishing she had a supply of headache meds in her pocket like Kohaku. Or else that she'd joined the percussions. She'd be back there by him and could steal from him then.

The wounds on her body, though they'd so far been quite quick to heal thanks to whatever the doctors had done, were itching, and the scar on her chin felt sore after being pressed up against her violin for forty minutes.

All her friends had noted the same thing; that they were healing faster than they really should, thanks to a medication they were to take, and whatever the doctors in surgery had done.

She sighed. At least she wouldn't have to work that night. Though she could stand on her own, as could her friends, their parents had been quick to force them to just use the crutches or wheelchair.

Kali had threatened to tie Kagome to the wheelchair if she didn't stay in it. She envied Sesshoumaru. He wasn't in a wheelchair. Not that she'd ever admit that she did, but perhaps to herself...no, not even to herself would she.

After band was Language class. That went swiftly and smoothly, as did gym class right after that, though Kagome hated not being able to join in class.

After gym, Kali came to pick up Kagome, Souta, Sango, and Kohaku. Seeing her mother driving her and Souta's car made the group of friends laugh. Miroku walked home. Work for him wouldn't start back up until Wednesday. Kikyou took the bus as usual.

When they got to the shrine after dropping off Sango and Kohaku, they found nine students lounging around the courtyard.

Souta grinned. "You should have joined the percussions like the rest of us." He murmured in her ear as they parked in the shrine's garage. "You'd not have this problem then."

Kali got out of the car. "Don't either of you go pushing yourself too hard, or it's back to the wheelchairs for the both of you." She warned. Kagome smiled and hugged her mother, getting her things from the trunk and going up the stairs. "Alright mom."

"Don't you have work to do?" Souta questioned suspiciously towards their mother.

Kali chuckled. "Alright, alright, you got me. Since you have company, Kagome, I will ask Loesia, Kozue, and Satu to help me with supper."

Loesia, Kozue, and Satu were three of the gardeners who were excellent cooks. Sometimes when there were many guests over, Kali asked the three to cook dinner and then paid them extra for their time.

Kagome nodded and noticed for the first time that her mother looked worn out. Two months ago, her face did not have so many worry lines, and her hair was not speckled with white. Now it was.

"Better yet," Kagome started, "why don't you just go work? Souta and I'll take care of things here, and Loesia and them can start supper on their own. They know by now where everything is." Kagome wouldn't tell Kali to go rest. She knew her mother would much prefer to work.

When Kali would have disagreed, Souta slung an arm through hers, escorting her up and out of the garage. "Come on, mom. They can handle it."

Kali sighed, relenting. "Alright fine." Kagome heard her say before she too started out of the garage. She made her way to the front door and exited out into the courtyard, looking at the members of the violin section. She saw that Inuyasha was also there and raised an eyebrow at him questioningly.

Inuyasha grinned at her. "When Mrs. Zeishun read your list, she said I'd better pay you a visit this evening. She threatened a months worth of bathroom duty if I didn't." Kagome shuddered.

Bathroom duty was the worst punishment you could get. It meant you had to clean bathrooms out with cu-tips and soap and water. Someone with bathroom duty had to wash the sinks, the toilets, the floors and the walls as well as the mirrors.

Mrs. Zeishun was the person who'd started the ritualistic punishment, so no one would put it past her to follow through with the threat. She might not usually give out detentions, but if she was really truly vexed, you could bet your bottom dollar that she would give you bathroom duty.

The violinists all looked at Kagome. Sara said, "We really need to get started learning our music." The others nodded their agreement, minus Sesshoumaru. He was looking over the music.

"Alright, we'll practice in the library. The place has great acoustics. Inuyasha, if you want, you can come or not." She began to lead the nine members of the violin section towards the library when Inuyasha moved to follow.

When they got to the library, Kagome found Souta waiting for her. He had her violin and music waiting for her. "You forgot something, nimrod." He said pleasantly.

Kagome grinned. "No, I saw you take it from the trunk, jerk."

"Anyway," Souta rolled his eyes. "Loesia said to tell you that dinner is at six-thirty sharp and if you are a peep late even, she'll gut you like a fish."

Loesia always said that. Over the years, you learned not to take her so seriously, because she would never do something like that. "Thanks." Kagome took her violin and set her backpack on a table. The rest of the students, Inuyasha included, were finding chairs.

Souta stretched lazily and collapsed on a cushion nearby where Inuyasha sat on one. The position he was in gave him a good view of each of the violin members. "What'cha doing here?" he asked as they began warming up.

"Mrs. Zeishun's android-baby thing. I'm in that and Kagome's my partner. Mrs. Zeishun ordered me to come tonight and bond with Kagome or else she'd give me bathroom duty." Inuyasha's voice was dry and sarcastic. "Stupid really."

"Yeah it is. But at least you avoid bathroom duty." Souta looked thoughtful for a moment then grinned. "Kagome's neck." He said quietly, so Kagome wouldn't hear.

Inuyasha looked at Souta, quirking an eyebrow in question. "What about it?"

"Well, not exactly her neck but more towards the back of her left earlobe, if you touch there she's all gooey and forgets whatever she was arguing about temporarily. Of course, you'd have to get past her in order to touch it, but it'd give you time to run away. Just brush your finger on it. Push to hard and it won't work."

"And I'll need this?"

"It'd help. I heard about that project. You'll have to stay here, and she'll have to stay at your house. Each visit is a total of six days you'll spend with her. I'd say yeah that'll come in handy."

Inuyasha grinned. "Okay. Thanks."

Kagome was right to choose the library. The books, the glass, the walls, everything was perfectly positioned to bounce the sound back to the group so they could know where their mistakes were right away.

When the bell chimed seven o'clock, the violinists were very disappointed to stop. Kagome grinned. Even Sesshoumaru looked unhappy. Inuyasha and Souta's conversation about whatever was interrupted.

The students made their way towards the dining room, Kagome reassuring the others that there would be other days they could come. Kali was frowning, sitting at the table, her finger tapping the wood steadily.

"You've got to be kidding me." She said, standing when the group of teens entered. "An entire half an hour late, Kagome!" said the very exasperated woman. "Souta, you were there, why didn't you remind her?"

Souta shrugged. "You never said to remind her?"

Giggles spread through the violinists as Kagome smiled sweetly. "We came at least. That's something isn't it?"

Kali smiled despite herself. "Yes, that's something, I suppose. Please, everyone, find a seat." She waved to the long table that was set in a small area. Of course, the table could seat a little over one hundred people, so it did not need to be set completely. Fourteen places were set at the table.

Kagome scratched her arm as she sat down, wondering about that fourteenth place setting. There were only thirteen of them. Nine people from the violin section, Inuyasha, Souta, Kali, and herself. So who was the fourteenth place setting for? She doubted it was for Naraku, considering they knew very well that he was most likely at the bar and not going to be coming for dinner.

Loesia, Kozu, and Satu really had outdone themselves with dinner. There were three courses. The first was a salad. All five of the gardeners had stayed to help with dinner, not just Loesia, Kozu, and Satu.

While two of the gardeners weren't exactly the best cooks, they were able to balance trays on their arms and serve at the same time, so Ai and Myra were the servers.

The first course was a grilled chicken Cesar salad topped with Cesar dressing. You could taste a faint hint of Parmesan cheese in it, but Loesia and Kozu, who would have made the salad and main course, knew that neither of the Higurashi children liked Parmesan so they hadn't put much in there though it was part of the recipe.

The main course was Spicy Chicken Curry Soup, something that Kagome loved. She could taste the lime and the garlic and the coconut just as well as the chicken and carrots and the flavors of the soup blended to create heaven in the mouth.

The third course was dessert. Kagome reveled in the Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake that was Satu's specialty. It contained raw eggs, but Kagome didn't care. She ate it anyway.

While she ate, she listened to the students talking about random things. Souta was complaining to their mother about how the cast on his broken leg itched. He wanted to take it off; his leg didn't hurt when he walked without crutches so surely it must be healed, he reasoned.

Their mother sat and listened calmly to his complaints before pointing out that the medication the doctor gave him would heal his leg quickly but if the cast was taken off, it would heal bowlegged and he would have trouble walking after that without a cane.

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru, who sat across from Kagome and Souta, were talking quietly to each other as they ate. They were talking about the art class murals projects, wondering what they should put on the mural. It was a boring conversation, so Kagome turned her mind elsewhere.

Sara and Sethy were not talking at all. Kagome figured they were probably thinking of their lost family member.

What am I thinking? Kagome thought. Gytha isn't lost! She can't be found unless you look six feet under her gravestone! She sighed and turned her attention back to the conversations.

Everyone was talking, and for the first time in her life, Kagome wasn't sure where she sat with these people. Before it had always been far away and now all of a sudden they were acting civil with her? Or were they doing this because they pitied her for getting kidnapped? No, that couldn't be it, because half of them were kidnapped too.

Even more was that Inuyasha was acting strange towards her. Stranger than normal... if that was possible. It used to be that all Kagome had to do was say his name and he'd get irate, like as though by saying his name, she'd offended him. But while they'd been in the vault, it had seemed like Inuyasha went out of his way to run into her. She hadn't noticed that until just now.

Then there was another thing. Yuri, Sesshoumaru's twin, was the only one of the students who had not been released from the hospital. She was in the psyche ward for mental trauma caused from ten years of abuse.

She couldn't talk; she was too afraid. She was schooled somewhat, considering that she could write, but someone had schooled her against the gold skinned woman's orders.

Kagome finished her dessert and stood from the table, grabbing her dishes and taking them into the kitchen, coming back out with a bucket to gather up other dishes.

Students began waving and saying their goodbyes, playing their way out. They thanked Kali for dinner, and then left. It wasn't until Kagome and Souta started doing dishes that they realized they had not seen Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha leave, but had seen them go into Kali's office with her.

* * *

Kali walked into her group counseling room, the two Nokugami boys following her. She sat comfortably on a stool, smoothing her suit-skirt over with the long fingers of one hand while waving to the rest of the furniture in the room. By sitting on something as informal as a stool, Kali knew it would allow them to be slightly more at ease with her.

"Have a seat." She said softly, gently.

The boys looked around for a moment, both slightly unsure, before the elder son walked over to a maroon high backed chair and sat in it, his movements stiff, yet graceful. The younger son stood for a moment longer before sitting on the floor right where he was with his legs in a pretzel fold, sticking his hands into the sleeves of his school uniform.

Kali smiled at them both and nodded her acquiescence to their choices of seating. "Very good." She said, still speaking softly. She needed not raise her tone, because she knew already that she had their attention.

"In today's counseling session, I'd like to ask you some questions. You may choose to answer them or not. If at any time you feel uncomfortable with the question," she stood from her seat, taking out two small electronic squares from her suit-jacket, giving one square to each of them, "push down on the pad with your finger gently, and we can get back onto a more comfortable subject. You need not exaggerate your discomfort, because this way neither of you will know of the other's discomfort."

She moved back to her footstool, sitting down on it and folding her legs off to the side so that there would be no chance of too much of her legs showing indecently.

"Can I ask a question?" Inuyasha asked.

Kali could see through the barrier of the witch charm and smiled as she saw his ear twitch from up on top of his head. "You just did, but go ahead anyway." She said with the smile in place.

Inuyasha blushed and looked at the floor, embarrassed at that, but then stuck his chin up in the air defiantly. "Where is our sister?"

Kali could almost see the relief on Sesshoumaru's face when Inuyasha finally asked the question. She wondered what Sesshoumaru had thought Inuyasha would ask.

"Yuri is in the Psychiatric ward in Sunset hospital. Friday afternoon she will be transported here to stay with me until she is able to take care of herself—that is if the doctors in the Psychiatric ward can't help her. These are your father's directions; he had told me to tell you at the close of the evening."

"So basically he doesn't want her." Inuyasha spat bitterly. "Figures. He never bothered to care the first time; why would he want her now?" Inuyasha stared at the floor angrily, as though if he tried hard enough, he would be able to burn a hole in the stone floor and the carpeting the covered it.

Kali pursed her lips imperceptibly, to stop herself from smiling at a time when it would be inappropriate to do so. Inuyasha was opening up, and that was a good thing.

Kali doubted that Sesshoumaru would say something if he didn't want to or if he thought it might affect someone else, so it would be harder to get him to talk, but perhaps this was the start of the blooming stage for these two life-hardened flowers?

Kali leaned forward in her seat, speaking again in her tone of voice that Souta and Kagome called "the shrink's voice"; her voice was soft, measured, and pliant. She'd found that when she used this voice, her patients tended to think that whatever she asked was their idea to tell.

She directed this voice at both boys, not just Inuyasha. She wanted to know Sesshoumaru's opinions too, and know what he thought. "What makes you say that? Why would you think your father does not want Yuri?"

Sesshoumaru scowled as though he wanted to say something. He gritted his teeth together. Kali wondered what he wanted to say, but Inuyasha was already speaking.

"Because he doesn't! He only keeps us around because he wants us to run his business!" Inuyasha's face was red with his anger. "Sess'll run the company, and dad"—he added scorn to the word, as though it tasted bitter on his tongue—"is going to make me head of security. Big whoop. I don't give a crap 'bout that stuff. Does he think about us and what we want? No!"

Now was when Sesshoumaru spoke, but it was as though Kali wasn't in the room anymore—like the boys were talking to each other. "Don't forget that wife he's got."

Inuyasha growled. "Yeah. She's a drunk, and a dirty smutty child abuser."

Kali was startled, but she didn't let it show on her face. The revulsion on both boys' faces told her that what she'd just heard was true. She thought carefully about this bit of information, digesting it slowly.

It wasn't that she'd never encountered a case where the children were abused, but that was no reason to hastily jump to conclusions either, and that didn't mean that she knew right away what she should do and what was right.


	8. Eighth Chapter

It was well after midnight when Naraku stumbled in through the front door. The house was asleep still, and any guests who were not fasting would have gone home. He felt like he was on the inside of a fish tank looking out.

The world was cock-eyed on him, and he felt like vomiting. He barely made it to the bathroom toilet before all the sex and booze came rushing out of his throat. His bile polished the toilet seat, the floor, and his body as well as the inside of the toilet. When he finished vomiting, he went to his room, not giving the mess he'd made a second thought.

Stripping off his clothes, he ran a hand through his greasy, vomited on black hair and decided a shower would clear his mind. He made his way to Kali's room, which held the closest shower to his room though it was on the second floor, and stood leaning with his hands against the shower wall, letting his mass of hair curtain his face and the water to cascade over the muscles rich from beating on two children for years.

The shower did him wonders. It cleared his head of the fog of the drink and allowed him to think clearly. It was apparent that after all these years, Kali would not divorce him. He'd done what he could, but she just wouldn't call him in for a divorce.

He remembered the fear he'd instilled in her through the years. He recalled the absolute terror on her face that first time he'd hit her; and then the first time he'd hit Kagome and Souta. She'd tried to protect her children, but he'd been stronger.

When he'd found out that his children were kidnapped, he'd been furious with himself for ever harming them. He wanted to change, he really did. It was just so hard to change what had been done for years. Change could happen, he knew. If he worked hard enough, change would happen.

He might only have a few years left... It was his fault though. If he hadn't screwed that woman... if he'd never started this, and just tried to be happy with Kali... but no. He romped with the wrong person and now he was going to pay for it with his life. The first thing he needed to do was apologize to his family. He doubted they'd be very sympathetic towards him, but they still deserved to know.

He slowly reached towards the shower nozzle, pulling the lever down and turning off the shower. His hand shook. Was it nerves? Yes, he was nervous. No more sex for the rest of his severely shortened life, and he'd be leaving the only place he knew. He wrapped a towel around his waist and stared at his reflection in the full length mirror.

His eyes were red and puffy, as though he'd been crying. He swiped at them, trying to bring them back to normal. He wouldn't drink anymore either. Those days of immoderation and pleasure were over. Damn that woman for ever tempting me, he thought angrily. It's her fault!

He shook his head and wiped another tear away that drifted down his cheek. No, it wasn't the woman's fault; it was his fault because he'd allowed himself to give into temptation. He looked at the gold wedding ring band on his finger.

He'd never taken it off. It had been there since the day he took his vows with Kali. It was true: married men who appeared in bars always attracted more attention than single men. He'd known it, and he'd used it to his advantage.

"I'm so sorry...Kali..." he sobbed, falling to his knees in front of the mirror. His hands went to his face and stayed there to catch the tears that fell. He could hardly bear the pain. He knew what he'd done wrong.

He knew everything he'd done wrong, and all he could think about was how he wished he could change it all. To make things better, though he knew it was impossible.

The next morning he would be gone, and his family would know why. They would be thankful, he was sure. He wasn't looking for their pity, or their sympathy. He just wanted them to know how sorry he was. He wanted them to know how he wished they could have been a good family instead of him being the ass that he knew he was.

A cool hand on his forehead and one on his back made him look up. Tears still streamed from his eyes and the figure he looked at was slightly blurry through them but he knew it was Kali. She knelt next to him, checking him for fever as she would do her children.

"Sorry about what?" She asked quietly, removing her hand from his forehead to adjust the top of her bathrobe so it would cover her better.

He threw his arms around her and cried into her shoulder wanting to be comforted; needing to be comforted. He needed to hear that things would be alright, but she probably would not tell him.

"I'm such an ass." He cried into her shoulder. "I abused you...our children...I have several children by other women, and...and... and I'm a horrid person!" His body shook, wrought with emotions. He could hardly bear it.

"I've put you hundreds of thousands of dollars into debt with my gambling, and I've desecrated this sacred shrine grounds..." He couldn't get any more words out. He just cried.

Kali ran her hands through his shower soaked hair soothingly as he admitted everything. She hated to see him so distraught. She let him cry everything away. Sometimes it was best to comfort someone, even if you found yourself disliking them.

For some reason, a song that Kagome had once made Kali listen to came to her mind. It brought tears to her eyes. The emotion the singer displayed had had no effect on her the day she'd heard the song, but now, the song seemed to have much more meaning to her. The memory of the song made her think.

His presence, even after Kali informed him that she wanted a divorce and made him leave, would always be around the shrine. He would haunt the halls and corridors forever. He would never leave her alone, even after he was gone.

Even if she never heard from him again, she would remember where he'd been in her life. He was her husband; her first and probably only. She knew no one who would want her.

All the times when Naraku had beaten her, and all the times that he'd done the same to her children... none of them would ever be able to forget that. It was something that would be remembered and would affect their personalities for the rest of their lives.

He was crying, and she was trying to comfort him. He used to do this for her, while they were in college, and for the year after they'd been married. When she'd been about to be mugged and raped in an alley all those years ago, he'd been the one who'd saved her. He'd been her knight in shining armor.

She could hardly forget that. She'd tried to be there for him, giving him money when he needed it, helping him to stay on the good side of the mafia even though all her instincts went against it, and keeping him out of jail. In the meanwhile, she'd gone into debt to money lenders.

She was almost six hundred thousand dollars into debt. She'd still loved him even after all this though... she didn't love him as a husband, but as a friend, he would always be hers.

He used to be the only thing she could bring herself to think of. She'd loved his smile which was always filled with mischief, his eyes which always portrayed so many emotions that she could hardly decipher them, his touch which was always so confident, his kisses...the kisses that turned her insides into puppets and made them dance and twist with adolescent love...

She had loved him unconditionally, but now that love was no longer there, and there was nothing she could say or do that would make it come back. She dreamt of their lost love every night.

She missed his warm comforting arms around her and the delightful feeling of her dancing heart when she and he just sat there on the couch, watching the television together. But there was no more of that and there would be no more of that.

But mostly, she missed his voice...the warm low calculated voice that brought smiles to her face every time and made her love her even more especially when he used to whisper those words of romance that he was so good at saying.

He'd made a young scrap of a girl feel like a queen just with his voice. She missed being loved... but after him, she didn't think she would find anyone new. She was always working, and as a rule, you weren't allowed to date patients. It was just wrong.

How long had she told herself that he would never return to her? She'd tried to imagine what it would be like without him, yet somehow, she still couldn't. She supposed she'd be able to work herself out of debt. But it just seemed unimaginable that he wasn't around.

He'd always lived in her house, coming home with a new woman every night, but he'd been in the house every night... In the beginning, Kali had tried to get him to stop. She'd tried to get him to be with her, but she had two demanding children to take care of.

Then, she tried to divorce him, but he'd been drunk and had stopped her from doing it. That was when the beatings started. And in the end, she'd just been alone...by herself.

Kali wiped a stray tear away. She didn't want to delve on the past so much. It was far too painful. He'd always have a part of her, but she saw a difference between her and the lyrics of the song now. He would not have all of her...not anymore.

She looked at the man she held in her arms. He slept with his eyes puffy from crying so much. She wished things had been different, but they hadn't been. Gently she shook him awake and led him to her bed.

He was asleep immediately after his head touched the pillow so she covered him up. Smoothing his slightly damp bangs, she kissed his sleeping lips and then moved to her side of the bed. She turned off her bedside lamp and lay down under the blankets, but she couldn't sleep. She wondered what made him realize how bad he'd been.

The next day, Naraku couldn't bring himself to tell Kali yet. He'd said he would, but he'd been saying he would stop screwing other women and beating up his children for the past two, almost three months.

One more day... One more day... He would tell in one more day...

* * *

On Friday, it was snowing. Snowflakes fell silently down through the air to land on the weary morning goers, who had either school or work to go to, or else those who were just coming off of work to go home after working a long night shift.

Kagome wrapped on a scarf and put on her light jacket. It wasn't cold enough to bring out the winter jackets. After all, the human race was conformed. They did what everyone else did, and no one would be wearing their winter coats just yet. The boots wouldn't be broken out until the first blizzard of the season.

Kagome kissed her mother's cheek, and then grabbed the car keys off the hook in the kitchen. She was ready to go.

"Hey, wait up, 'Gome." Souta said, crunching his toast. Normally they never had time for breakfast, but their mother had woken them both up for the past week, so that Kagome wasn't startling Souta to fall off his bed and re-break his brittle leg.

The cast would soon come off. It had healed quickly, thanks to the experimental medicine he was taking and the fact that he had the power of their grandmother coursing through his blood.

Kagome knew he was using their grandmother's power to help the healing go quicker. She didn't care how advanced medical technology was getting; broken legs didn't normally heal in less than a month.

Souta kissed their mother's cheek, managing to get some bread crumbs on their mother much to Kali's disdain, and then rushed after Kagome, heading for the garage with a limp. It was hard to walk normally when your entire leg was in a cast, unable to bend at the knee.

On the way to school, Kagome went out of her way to pick up Miroku. Sango was picking up Kikyou. "Hey, 'Gome, turn on the radio." Miroku said when things got too quiet for him to stand.

They were about a block away from the school, but were stuck in bad traffic. She reached out and fiddled with the radio, a moment, finding a station that was playing a good song.

She laughed and let it rest on classical music. Miroku absolutely hated classical.

"Ahh! Nooo! Kagome, please this is torture, surely you must know!"

"Oh, I know." Kagome said with a smirk. "Hey, Miroku, you goin' to the Halloween bash at school tomorrow?" She asked, changing the station.

"I would, but I haven't got a date. Sango's going with Eight Ball. She's dating him now, I guess." He sounded down. "Stupid jerk Kenith Guan, if he tries anything I'll pulverize him."

"What about Kikyou?" Kagome suggested.

Souta turned in his seat slightly to look at Miroku. "Don't even think of asking her. I'm gonna."

Kagome heard Miroku sigh. "Man, this bites. I'm hopeless."

"I'll go with yah." Kagome said. "Kohaku called me last night and said he couldn't go because he had another cold and wouldn't be at school. You know policy, if you don't go to school the day of or the day before, you can't go."

"Really?" Miroku asked. "Does that mean we get to make out?"

Kagome laughed. "Sure, just as soon as I grow male gentiles we can..."

"On second thought... eh...maybe not."

Kagome pulled into the school parking lot, scowling when she saw someone had taken her spot. She circled the lot, looking for a place to park, and had to race for the last spot before someone in a red convertible with the top idiotically down stole the spot.

She got out of the car as did her brother and friend. Once they'd retrieved their bags, they walked to the school together.

"I've a mind to take a bat to the car that took my spot," she confided in her friends. "It's hard enough here without everyone taking the spot I've had since sixteen."

Sango patted Kagome's back. "You'll be alright."

"Today's going to be a one of those blah days." She said. "But hey, I get to leave at lunch. Sango, would yah give Souta a ride home after school?"

"Where you going?"

"Mama asked me to come with her to pick up Yuri." The two looked at the others, walking ahead of them to art class. They shrugged and followed their friends. "Mural day!" Kagome groaned. "I still don't know what I'll draw."

Sesshoumaru closed his journal, sighing. It was time to leave the only place he could be free of female leeches. He shoved his journal and pen in his backpack and zipped it up, standing up off the floor in the guy's changing room for gym. He dusted off his pants and exited the locker room.

Kagome swore violently. "My sketch book is in my locker." She said.

Sango turned around. "Let's go get it then."

Kagome shook her head. "Naw. I can handle it myself. Go on ahead. I'll be right there."

Sango raised an eyebrow for a moment but then just shrugged and turned, heading to class. Kagome raced off down the hall, turning corners sharply.

* * *

Sesshoumaru felt something impact with his chest as he turned towards Art class. He fell back on his back and that something landed on him. He groaned his back hurting from landing on his backpack. "Ow..." he muttered.

The something rolled off him, groaning as well. "Ow..." They said. Sesshoumaru tensed. He recognized that voice. Kagome? What the heck...why was he running into her? Shouldn't she be in class? ...shouldn't he be in class?

"That smarts..." Kagome groaned.

The Halloween dance... The thought hit Sesshoumaru so suddenly it shocked him. He could ask her now. It was the perfect time...

"Kagome?" He asked, trying not to let his nerves get the better of him. He sat up, and sighed. She wasn't even there anymore. He was far too wrapped in his own thoughts. He'd missed his chance.

* * *

At lunchtime, Kagome made her way to her car, driving to the hospital. There she met up with her mother. "Mama, she's rather skittish at first." She said quietly. "But she's got the guts to stand up to a murderer. She's defiant, but she said she gets nervous around doctors."

"I thought she couldn't talk?"

"Oh, she can write."

"Alright. That helps."

* * *

_Sesshoumaru's journal entry _

_December 22, 2004 _

_I've a mind to kiss her again... She's staying at my house for three days in a row. My father hates her. She showed up here in the skankiest outfit and with an attitude she must have known would piss mother off, and yes I know "skankiest" is not even a word, but I put it anyway. _

_It was rather humorous, and I couldn't help but laugh. I had a hard time not doing it until I was in my room. Mother hates her too. It was so hilarious how she showed up here and yet, everything seemed set up. It seemed like a play, as though Inuyasha and she had planned it all. _

_When she rang the doorbell, Inuyasha raced to get it, and yet, mother and father were going to answer it as well. Mother and father were in the entry hall just in time to see Inuyasha having her backed up against the doorway, both half in the house and half out, and they were making out! _

_I mean, yeah, seeing that sort of made me sad, because I like her, but it just seemed too faked to be real. The android they're taking care of together was bundled up in winter clothes, standing just inside the door and watching the scene with interest. _

_Mother was irate. She walked up to her and pulled Inuyasha away from her, slapping Inuyasha. "Inconceivable!" mother yelled at Inuyasha. "You will not go around kissing people!" _

_Except her, I knew she wanted to add. Several times after we got back from the hospital, she'd tried to get us to have sex with her, but so far we've been able to get away. _

_You want to know what she said in response to that? This part was just fubar. You know what that stands for. Fucked up beyond all repair. She said, "Oh, but Nekura, I'm dating Sesshoumaru, so why can't I have a little something on the side to go with the main meal?" I was too shocked to reply, or even say it wasn't true. _

_Mother turned and glared at me. Oh man, my body froze over with terror at that moment; I swear her glare would have frozen Hell over! _

_I forced a smile at mother, thinking of all the evil torturous things I could do to Inuyasha to get back at him for this, and I knew my smile must have looked mocking or mischievous or something because she turned that glare on her, and she just smiled sweetly, then mother glanced at me again, then stormed off. _

_Father pursed his lips in a frown at her choice of clothes. Seriously, I'd never seen her legs before, and now I know for sure they're as muscled and toned as the rest of her that I've seen so far. _

_And that skirt was barely leaving anything to the imagination. Father didn't like her at all; the look in his eyes said so. Inuyasha was grinning like a madman, I swear he was. _

_Just the way father walked as he stalked off—as though there was a stick up his rear!—made me have to bite my lip so I didn't crack up, but I was failing, and I knew it. I covered my mouth to try to stifle the laughter, and it came anyway. _

_I was laughing so much I almost fell down the stairs! I'd been standing on them the whole time, but I had to sit down finally. I raced up to my room and burst into laughter. _

_I had to cover my face with a pillow to muffle it, and tears were coming out of my eyes I was laughing so hard. I hadn't laughed like this since before Yuri had been kidnapped when we were nine. _

_But that wasn't the end. And that's not why I hunger for her lips again. It took me until just a few weeks ago to forget the first kiss and how it tasted. I don't think I'll ever stop liking her. _

_Moments later, Inuyasha and she came to my room. I was lying on the leather couch, trying to stop laughing, but it wasn't working so finally I gave up. When I had a breath, I explained what was so funny. "He looked like he had a stick up his rear." _

_Inuyasha grinned. "Yeah. And I fully intend to make the next few days of our beloved parents lives a living hell with -- help, and that means you've gotta play along, dear brother." I'm omitting her name. You know who she is. _

_"Blah." I said. I had to cover my face with the pillow again to cover the blush that crept to my face. The implications of such a simple plan meant...kissing! Blah blah blah blah blah! _

_Not that I didn't like the idea, but anyway, it just seemed so far out like she wouldn't agree to it. I certainly loved the idea of pissing Nekura off and a girlfriend would do the trick. Even if it was a pretend girlfriend. _

_A weight on my chest distracted me momentarily before the pillow was taken from me and I found her to be straddling my chest. I did my best to look irritated, and I think I did well. "You want to get off me." I told her. _

_She smirked at me. "No, actually I don't, I'm rather comfortable. How about a kiss, dear boyfriend?" She asked me and she didn't bother to wait for me to answer. Besides. What would I say to that?! Yes, kiss me! Screw me while you're at it! Oh yeah, that would blow over well. _

_She just kissed me. No more questions asked. And I just responded immediately. Inuyasha closed my room door and locked it, though I know he didn't leave, I lost track of him after that until I heard the snapping of a Polaroid camera. _

_It was the kind that made instant photos. My eyes snapped back open and I pulled away, looking at Inuyasha wide eyed. My eyes must've been bugging out, because they certainly felt like they were. _

_"We're making this believable." She said to me. "So you have to kiss me like you mean it. We're going to make an album of us." She took the picture from Inuyasha and began waving it, waiting for it to clear. _

_When it did and she showed me the picture, I was shocked. It was me in the picture, giving into something I really wanted. "Though, I don't think we have to worry about you meaning it. You like me." _

_I glared at Inuyasha. "You jerk." I snapped at him. "You said you wouldn't squeal!" I would have sat up but she was restricting that movement. _

_She laughed and grabbed my hair, forcing me to look at her. "He didn't tell me, you just did." My jaw dropped and I heard the snapping of the camera, and then another picture shot out. _

_I'd ratted myself out. Can you imagine how stupid I feel? After that, we snuck out of the house through the window, android in tow, because we couldn't very well leave it behind to rat us out. _

_We went to the park and she changed clothes in the bathroom, and Inuyasha gave me a bag of clothes. I had to change too. The stone flagons were cold on my feet when I had to take my shoes off to change pants, and it really didn't matter that it was snowy outside, because a week ago there had been a big blizzard. _

_Yet, that didn't matter because we could get a weeks' worth of pictures on the park, and since Inuyasha and I always lock ourselves in my room, the only thing the pictures would threaten would be the fact that we sneak out. Now they would know a reason why we snuck out, even though it wasn't a true reason. _

_After that, we went to the greenhouse. Fifteen dollars admission per person. Forty five dollars spent in three different houses. Inuyasha and I paid since it was her that was helping us. When we got inside, pictures were taken in multiple outfits, yet again. _

_Only pictures taken were ones that wouldn't show the walls and would make it look like we were outside not indoors and shivering in spring clothes. _

_Finally, we had enough pictures. We came back and put together the picture album, in order of seasons. We'd gone to a greenhouse that displayed fall greenery, then one for spring, and one for summer. The park was winter. That came last. _

_And I got to kiss her lots of times. She doesn't smoke, like I had thought the day we were assigned to take care of Akira the android together. _

_Man, she's like...perfect. Everything about her is perfect. The curves to her body, the delicacy of her face, the fact that she packs a powerful punch behind those cute smiles. I even like it when she gets angry. _

_It's time for dinner. I need to go, but while she was in the shower, I just wanted to tell you about this. This most perfect day..._

Kagome stepped out of the shower, Sesshoumaru's bathroom shower of course, and stretched. Her back itched. The wounds were fully healed from the bullets, but she had new whip marks from her father's belt.

The old ones had finally healed and the scabs had fallen off to leave scars, but now there were new welts. Kagome had gotten the new welts because she'd shoved Naraku for talking dirty to Yuri.

But that was old news.

She grinned; recalling Sesshoumaru's wide eyed look when she'd dug in his pocket for his wallet and stuck a photo of her in it. It wasn't that she was putting herself in his wallet that shocked him; it was that she'd dug in his pocket.

She knew exactly what his mother put him and Inuyasha through. Inuyasha had confided to Kagome about it when he'd come to her house. He'd tried to pretend that it was just him that it happened to, but Kagome wasn't the daughter of a shrink for nothing. She saw right through that, though she mentioned nothing of it.

It was hard to admit things like that, and she knew it was. She would never judge the Nokugami boys solely on appearance again. Sesshoumaru hid behind his many masks because he was terrified of what would happen if anyone were to find out. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's pride would not allow them to bear pity from anyone. So Kagome would not pity them.

Kagome wrapped a towel around her body, leaving the bathroom with a strapless bra and panties on underneath the towel. Just as she had suspected, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were sitting on the couch waiting for her.

She held up two outfits, neither more smutty than the other. "Which one?" She asked. "Ridiculously unacceptable, or completely inappropriate?"

Perplexed, the two boys stared at each dress, wondering which was which. She had not indicated which was completely inappropriate, or which was ridiculously unacceptable. They were in fact both strapless, and looked to be more revealing than you could think was possible.

Kagome sighed, exasperated. "Come on, don't do this to me!" She said. "You know your parents better than I. Which would they dislike more?"

"Father hates red. Says it's too flashy." Inuyasha said, pointing to the red one.

Sesshoumaru pointed to the black one. "Mother hates black. She says it should only be used to mourn the dead."

Kagome sighed, exasperated. "Hopeless!" She muttered. She took the black one off the hanger, dropping the red to the floor along with her towel. Both boys stared open mouthed at her near bare body, and she slipped into the dress.

"Ooh, Yura's good." She looked her body over. When they gave her confused looks, she said, "Yura helped me with this. I knew she'd make me as scanty as she could and try to hide the fact that she did. She complimented me on everything I tried on, even though it's all ridiculous. Well, anyway..."

The dress was completely black, strapless, very informal, ridiculously short, and cloth only where it was needed. She ran a brush from her bag through her hair and put her hair up in a braided bun.

The welts on her back showed through the giant diamond shaped hole covering her back, but she ignored that. Lastly, she put on her make up, much heavier than normal, using bright black lipstick that wouldn't kiss or rub off.

She smirked at her appearance. "Of course, if my mother ever saw me like this, she'd murder me." She murmured to the boys, her blue eyes glittering with humor. "Kohaku, though..." She trailed off and turned to them. "I'm ready."

Both boys were gawking at her. She put a hand on her hip and glared at them. "You can't be looking at me like that." She said, irritably. "If you're checking me out, I'll knock both you off your socks." She watched them look away shamelessly. She walked forward, ruffling the android's hair.

Rimy, the little girl android, giggled and straightened her hair. "Mother." She giggled. "You messed up my hair!"

"That's okay. I don't mind." Kagome told her.

"But I mind." Rimy said with a pout.

"Do we pout?" Kagome asked her, frown in place.

Rimy shook her head. "No, we smile even when we're sad."

Kagome nodded and looked over her 'boyfriend'. "You can't wear that." She said, pointing to the red tee shirt and khakis. "We have to match. Black pants, and a black shirt. And you know what? Tonight, we're cutting your hair."

Sesshoumaru growled. "You're not touching my hair." He said, taking a step back. He didn't care who she was; no one touched his hair.

"Inuyasha..." Kagome said warningly, and he sighed.

"I promised that she could do what was needed. It'll grow back Sess."

"No. What part of that don't you understand? The 'n' or the 'o'?"

Kagome walked over to Sesshoumaru, running a hand through his long hair. She showed him the split ends. "You don't take care of your hair. These need to be trimmed off. Besides; are you a business man?" He shook his head.

"Then why do you have to look like one? All stiff like you've got something up your rear? You'll be just like your father. I swear it."

She turned to Rimy and took the android's hand. Rimy peeked around Kagome's leg to look at Sesshoumaru. "You're a bad man for kissing my mother. Only daddy can kiss mother. You stay away from mother." She warned.

Kagome grinned. "Rimy, it's a game." She said. "Run downstairs and find the dining room." Kagome gently shoved the small android out of the door and closed it again.

Once more, she looked at the two boys. "Now, for this to work, we've got to be believable. No outrageous lies. If I say something, you two go along with it as though you've known it all along."

"I'm going to sit next to Rimy, so you can sit next to Sesshoumaru, Kagome. But that'll put you right across from Nekura." Inuyasha said.

At the dinner table, Kagome smiled sweetly at Nekura. Nekura sat right across from her, just as Inuyasha had said she would. On one side of Nekura was Rimy; on the other side was Haru, the two boy's father. Inuyasha sat at the foot of the table next to Rimy and Sesshoumaru, and Kagome sat next to Sesshoumaru.

Nekura was wearing an expensive silk dinner gown, and she glowered at Kagome as the first course was served. Kagome giggled at the many spoons placed before her. "Oh my, what the hell are all these for?"

She daintily picked up the soup spoon, peering at her reflection in the metal for a moment before shrugging and tossing it over her shoulder. "Useless." She said as she threw it. She picked up the next, slightly longer and fatter one. "Dumb."

Nekura fumed. It was not even two minutes into dinner and she already wanted to throttle Kagome. "What are you doing?" She took a gulp of her wine, smoothing the gold fabric of the gown near her stomach. Nekura pursed her lips.

"So, Kagome was it?" At Kagome's pleasant smile, she continued, "How long have you and Sesshoumaru been with each other? He never mentioned you."

Kagome knew this tactic. Mothers tried this often with their children's boyfriends or girlfriends so that they could build a rift between the two. But Nekura did not know that she was treading into Kagome's game. A trap Kagome had designed especially for the woman.

Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru, giggling, putting a hand to her lips secretively. "Why... I'm not surprised Nekura." In the corner of her eye she saw Inuyasha and Rimy fighting with butter knives.

"Oh? And why aren't you?" Nekura waved to Sesshoumaru. "I know my son. He tells me-"

Kagome giggled again and leaned closer to Sesshoumaru, wrapping an arm through his and bringing her lips close to his ear. She spoke in a whisper, but in the near deadly silent dining room, Nekura and Haru heard clearly what she said.

"Because he likes me more than you, he tells me things you never would have guessed."

Nekura looked about to have a fit as she watched Kagome lick Sesshoumaru's earlobe. "I've had enough!" Nekura said in a fit. She stood, the fabric of her gold dinner gown rustling with her movement.

"Sesshoumaru, we need to talk. Now!" She stalked from the room when Kagome turned Sesshoumaru's head towards her and pressed their lips together.

Haru frowned. "Sesshoumaru, this is not how we behave at the dinner table!"

Kagome pulled away from Sesshoumaru to look at Haru. "Will you excuse us?" She asked, standing without waiting for an answer and pulling Sesshoumaru out of the dinning hall.

Even though they were out of the dinning hall and away from prying eyes, Kagome pushed Sesshoumaru against a wall and kissed him. She wanted to feel the emotions she'd felt from that first kiss months before.

The other kisses had been sweet, but they'd been guarded. This one she felt burning her inside and out it felt like. She enjoyed that feeling, just as much as she enjoyed kissing Kohaku whom she'd gotten back together with recently.

Kohaku had agreed that she could feign being Sesshoumaru's girlfriend for a few days, but Kagome was sure he didn't know what competition Sesshoumaru unknowingly made for him.

She felt Sesshoumaru giving into the kiss whole-heartedly and their tongues explored each other's mouths, their hands searched each other's bodies, unconsciously exploring each of the muscles hidden beneath clothing.

Finally, regretfully, Kagome pulled away. She didn't allow the regret to show, but rather just grinned at him. "Just making sure you got that right." She said.

A sigh formed at her lips, but she didn't allow it to escape. I've got to stop this. She thought. I'm back with Kohaku... why am I not happy? Why do I feel like there should be more?

* * *

Raine smiled at Rin and showed her sister the new invention she'd made. If she marketed it, it would be a technology breakthrough, but she probably wouldn't. She liked to keep things to herself, and Rin knew as much.

Rin took the tiny capsule in her hands and looked at it. It was about two inches in length, and about a half an inch wide. It was made out of scrap metal, its pieces mismatched, and looked rather ramshackle, but the design was quite interesting, for what it was supposed to do. A small indent in one of the ends housed a tiny button.

Rin didn't push the button, though she wanted to. Whatever that button did could affect the electronics in the surrounding vicinity and Rin didn't want to be responsible for damage to Raine's precious machinery, and the machinery that kept Rin alive and well.

"What does it do?" Rin asked, indicating the button in the hole. She handed the small capsule back to her sister and rubbed her warm arms.

The body heat regulator in Rin's body was turned up to keep her mechanical joints from freezing in the winter, but that meant that when she was indoors, her skin was uncomfortably hot. She'd stopped sleeping with a blanket already.

Raine held the precious capsule in her left hand, holding her hand to her chest. "I'll show you. Come here."

Rin followed Raine into the next room in the basement. It was the room that Raine kept most of her inventions in, including all the androids and failed androids she'd made as well as spare parts.

"I'm still not sure what you're trying to get at." Rin said quietly. "What does it have to do with all this?" She motioned the clutter filling the room as she followed the taller twin to the far back of the room and into the hidden room where Raine stored the android classes "A" through "D".

Since they were illegal, Raine didn't want someone to stumble accidentally upon them and report them, so she took precautions and hid them in a secret room that she and Rin had put in when they moved in with the Legumes.

"Hold your horses. I swear, the younger twin never has patience to spare." Raine muttered. She pointed her left hand with the capsule in it at one of the Class A androids.

"This is what it does." Raine pushed the button and a sickly green-red holographic beam of light shot out of the opposing end of the capsule and when it hit the android, it formed a sphere around it, slowly seeming to shrink the android down until it was nothing more than a speck of sickly green-red light that shot back into the capsule.

"And that did...what?" Rin asked curiously. "Other than make your androids disappear into thin air?"

Raine threw her bottom lip out in a pout. "I've created this tiny capsule to have the ability to store large items! Don't you see? It's a revolutionary-"

Rin waved her hands discouragingly. If Raine started on talking technology, she could go on and on for hours. "Please, do not bother trying to explain it. Science is not my department. It never has been."

Raine sighed. "Oh, you're no fun." She muttered.

* * *

Christmas dinner at the Nokugami household was mostly a silent affair, minus talk between Nekura and Kagome. And even that wasn't all pleasant. Kagome was glad she would be going home right away the next morning.

"My mother, I believe you know her from High School... Kali Higurashi? Do you recognize that name?"

Inuyasha added, "Mother, Doctor Kali Onigumo is Kagome's mother. You know her. She is the wife of Naraku Onigumo, the man you've made a play toy of while father was in Europe last year."

Kagome nodded. "Oh yes," she said, quietly. "It is rather sad that you can't get any from your own husband so you turn to others' husbands."

Sesshoumaru remained quiet. Kagome and Inuyasha had to have planned everything all out, and he didn't want to ruin it by speaking. Besides, he never talked at dinner before, why start now?

Haru glared at Nekura. "You charlatan!" He hissed. "I had my suspicions!" Kagome hid a grin. Instead of Nekura causing the rift two days prior, Kagome had done it in reverse, with Inuyasha's genius help. Of course, it had been planned ahead of time, but it had been planned well.

"I would never!" Nekura yelped. "She lies!" It had been far too easy. Kagome recognized the signs. Haru was cheating on Nekura as well. Nekura had a panicked look on her face. "Haru, my love, please believe me! I would never do such a vile thing!" Haru stalked from the room, not listening.

"My love?" Kagome laughed. Oh how easy it was to tear them apart. She wasn't doing this for herself though. She did it for the two teens whose kisses made her desire nothing more than to be safe in strong arms; the two teens who made her feel safe.

She'd kissed them enough and been held enough to know how the two differed when some would say they were exactly alike. She felt like she was cheating on Kohaku, but she quenched that feeling. In a few days everything would be back to normal.

The two boys would ignore her, give her their "I'm better than you" looks, and she'd forget all about the delightful feeling of their lips on hers, especially Sesshoumaru's.

Kagome stood, a hand placing dramatically to cover the cleavage that showed by her dress. "I believe... you also said that several times to others." She said suggestively.

"I know it is hard to admit, but I see it all over you. You can practically smell the lies radiating off your skin, Nekura... You know... How ever will Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha turn out with you for an example? Haru's publicity would skyrocket if he exposed you..." Her eyes darted slightly to Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha, suggesting something.

"But what about your father?" Nekura smirked. "You wouldn't dare tell him of that or your father's reputation will-"

Again, Kagome laughed. "We're not talking about my father and you anymore."

Nekura stood and walked around the table. Kagome turned to face her. "Come with me." Nekura said. "Please." It wasn't a request, though she'd said please. It was an order, a demand.

Kagome smirked and looked at her newly manicured fingernails as though she was Queen of the planet. "You see, Nekura, that's the difference between me," she waved her hand casually at the two boys, "and them. I've no reason to obey you. You see, I'm the bitchy girlfriend. I'm not supposed to be liked by the mother or the father until long after I die. Assuming I die before you of course."

Kagome saw the movement in the muscles in Nekura's shoulder and arm and knew what would happen before it did, so she braced herself and let it happen. Nekura's arm snaked out and Kagome felt the sting in her cheek, left behind when Nekura slapped her.

The pain was nothing compared to what Naraku could do to her. It was a mosquito bite compared to a cougar bite. Hardly felt. "I pity your mother." Nekura spat.

Kagome looked at her hand casually, flexing her fingers. For a second, she said nothing. Then, Kagome turned her back to Nekura and walked out of the room. That single action offended Nekura beyond words. Sesshoumaru stood, turned his back to Nekura, and walked out after Kagome. Inuyasha and Rimy weren't far behind him.

* * *

Christmas break was over, and Kagome was finally back at home, away from a certain two boys who confused her more than she liked to be. But that didn't mean she got away from them completely. She saw them every day in school, at one point or another, and they were in her dreams and her mind at every second.

Both of them had hidden secrets in their eyes—secrets that Kagome had found out. It was her nature to poke and pry, though she wasn't as good at it as Sango was.

Kagome looked at the history assignment she was supposed to be working on. The paper was filled with essay questions covering the last unit they'd studied before break, to make sure the students hadn't spent the whole vacation lazing and had actually read the work assigned to them over break. The reading had been about the 100-year war.

That brought demons to Kagome's mind. Inuyasha was a half-breed, and Kagome knew this. His mother was a human, and his father was a demon, so that made him a half-breed. So why weren't Kagome and Souta half-breeds as well?

Their father was a demon, or half demon as it were, and their mother was a human. The only thing that set Kagome and Souta apart from normal Province Seven native was their deep midnight blue eyes.

Kagome tapped her pencil on her desk steadily. She remembered her seizures. They were coming quicker and harder now. They didn't last as long, but they were more painful than the longer ones, and the damage she did to her body was worse.

Souta had started sleeping in her room so that when she was sleeping, if she went into a seizure, he was right there to hold her down. They hadn't told their mother about it yet, but Souta said if it happened again, and both were sure it would, Souta would tell.

But why was she having the seizures? Why now? She'd never had them before a few months ago. "It doesn't make sense..." Kagome muttered aloud, forgetting she was in a history classroom as she stared at her work.

The teacher, Mr. Hiatz, had been walking by at just that moment, and heard her comment. Mr. Hiatz frowned and set one of his large wiry hands on Kagome's desk, leaning on it slightly to leer over the speaking student's body.

"Miss Higurashi, I suggest you learn when you are to be quiet. If something does not make sense, you raise your hand, not open your yapper."

Kagome looked up at the teacher. He had a wiry build, but was muscular, and had long curly lashes to frame his nearly black eyes that would have looked feminine on anyone else. His head was bald, but only because he shaved it that way.

His eyebrows were perfectly and naturally arched gracefully over his eyes. He had high cheekbones and thin lips and he wore a white polo shirt and dark green dress pants. On the breast of the polo shirt was written " Sunset Private Education School" in embroidery.

He wasn't long out of college, but that was because he'd gone for several things before finally deciding on becoming a history teacher. Mr. Hiatz was twice Kagome's eighteen years.

Kagome usually liked Mr. Hiatz, but something about the tone of his voice seemed challenging and it made her hackles rise. It was like Kagome when she baited Medallion, only this time it was being done to her. Her fingers gripped the desk, her knuckles were white. She took a breath, both wanting and needing to calm herself.

She couldn't understand why she was getting so upset. Perhaps it was because her life had gone askew ever since Lea Saeko, her supposed cousin, had stepped into her life.

Since that day, Kagome had been thrown into situations with Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha, and everything seemed to have changed, including her opinion of them. But yet, she wasn't sure how she thought of them anymore. She had yet to make a new opinion of them.

Here I go again, dragging my thoughts back to them... She thought. She locked eyes with Mr. Hiatz, giving him stare for stare, waiting for him to back down. Her own pride wouldn't let her back down.

His pride wouldn't let him lose to a mere teen still in high school either. Neither of them would back down, and so the bell rang before they finished their little glaring contest.

Kagome didn't look away as she gathered her papers and books into a crude pile and stood, making her way out of the classroom along with the hoard of her classmates.

Once in the hall, Kagome made her way to science. Once there, she set up for her lab. All in all, that class was a success. She usually did well in science class, while many other students made their formulae wrong and blew up their lab stations, or melted half of it with acid that they'd created.

After science was lunch. There, she hung with her friends for a while. Yuri had joined their group quickly and obviously silently since she couldn't talk, but the girl did have a great sense of humor, ability to speak or not.

She had a system of sign language that was fairly easy to understand. Then she could also write, so sometimes she wrote down what she thought or what she wanted to say.

Kagome sighed. It was getting to be a long day.

When she got home with Souta, Kagome heard noises that were certainly not part of the normal household sounds. The shrine was usually quiet, but that night, there were the sounds of screams and shattering glass.

She didn't wait. That was her mother's voice screaming the word "stop" repeatedly, and "you're hurting me". Souta was only two steps behind Kagome as she raced up the stairs. If the door had not been open at the top of the stairs, they would never have heard the noise. The scene was taking place in the living room.

Several priceless antiques were shattered on the floor of the living room. The entertainment center upon which the television sat normally was tipped over, the television screen cracked, the plug ripped from the wall.

Lamps and tables and chairs were upturned. In the middle of it all was Naraku with his belt in his hand, and a sorely beaten Kali. Kali was getting much older, and her priestess powers were not what they used to be.

All of it was spent on the protections around the shrine; otherwise she might have had a defense against the brutal punishment.

The image of her mother sobbing and writhing under the belt's relentless tirade sent cold blood rushing through Kagome's body. She screamed as she felt the pain of a seizure take hold of her, falling to the ground and shaking for a moment.

Souta was torn between who to help. His mother or his sister? He loved both dearly, and didn't want anything to happen to either one. Then again, if he helped his sister, Kagome would never forgive him for their mother getting hurt; if he helped his mother, Kali would never forgive him for not helping his sister. Either way, he seemed at a loss.

The seizure, though Kagome hit her head hard enough to bleed, didn't last long. She got up, her body shaking from the recent agony it had spent, but she didn't let it grasp hold of her. She was furious. She let her heart take over her mind, and her heart screamed "Kill, Kill, Kill!!" while her mind said just the opposite.

She charged through the shattered glass, ripped magazines, over the askew furniture, and into Naraku. She knocked him down and began hitting him repeatedly in the face with a balled up fist. She broke his nose, split his lip, and hit his head on the floor so hard that it cracked open, blood seeping into the wooden tiles of the floor.

Had it not been for Souta, Kagome just might have killed Naraku. As it was, Kali had scrambled for the phone, calling the police on Naraku—finally after all this time she was doing what she needed to.

"Let me go!" Kagome screamed. Souta had her held tightly against him, refusing to let go. Her arms were pinned behind her, making movement painful. He knew how she felt, and he too wanted to pummel Naraku, but he kept a level head. "Let me go, now Souta!"

"No, Kagome!" Souta said, using her full first name, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation. Normally he didn't just throw out her full first name. He used her nicknames more often than not.

The police came along with an ambulance. Naraku was taken to the hospital to heal, and then to be put in jail. Only when Naraku had gone did Kagome settle down. The first thing she did was knock her brother off his feet, giving him a nice black eye.

* * *

The next day, in Art class, the students were met with a surprise. Lea was there, but not as they had expected her, in her normal happy-go-pappy attitude. She was dead serious, and beside her was Shino Takai.

When class started, Shino looked at the students. He didn't see who he'd expected to find. Who he hoped he would find. "Where is Kagome Higurashi?" Shino asked the students.

Kohaku looked up from his notebook. "Thou asketh thy wrong personeth." He said with a grin, but when he saw the serious looks on the faces of the two adults at the front of the classroom, and the gun and badge that each wore, he realized the seKali of things. "What happened?" He demanded.

"Kagome probably beat up someone like the barbarian she is." Karei said dismissively.

"It is not your concern." Ms Saeko snapped. "Where is she?" Her manicured fingers went to her hips, balling up with her fist and resting there.

It was then that Kagome and Souta walked into the classroom, running late from helping their mother out. Shino turned to Kagome. "Kagome Higurashi; you are under arrest for... last nights actions." He didn't want the whole class to know what Kagome had done.

"You can't arrest her for that!" Souta yelled. Anyone who hadn't been paying attention would be now. "He deserved every last hit! Did you see what he did to our mother?! Did you look at that?!"

Shino shook his head and stepped forward. "Regardless."

"I told you she's a barbarian." Karei said.

Kagome turned her head, looking at Karei, even as she calmly turned her back and placed her hands behind her to be cuffed. Her voice was soft as she laid out the scenario for Karei. "Suppose a man had gone mad, Karei. What would you think?"

Karei frowned. "Why are you asking me?" She was confused, and it was obvious by the look on her face.

Kagome shrugged as she felt and heard the cuffs locking onto her wrists. "A man has a disease, Karei. This disease drives him into insanity." The class was silent, listening and giving Kagome disgusted looks.

Sesshoumaru watched with a heavy heart. He didn't want Kagome to go. He thought things had been happening between the two of them finally, but apparently fate would keep them apart. Who knew if he'd ever see her again?

Of course, it also brought to mind the question of whether or not he had good judgment of character, considering she was getting arrested.

"The disease is a sexually transmitted parasite that eats you from the inside out. It drives the infected into a state of mental instability when the infected person's emotions rage. It eats at your pelvis and within three years of infection you'll be a paraplegic. A cripple.

"The disease begins from eating the tissue that makes up an android's skin in its rawest form. Otherwise, it can be sexually transmitted, and that is how most people get it. So when this infected man started beating on my mother, I had to stop him.

"I know if someone attacked May, you'd have done the same thing, Karei. You'd have done the same thing I did." Kagome leaned towards Souta's ear so she could speak with only him to hear. "Take care of things. Hook up mom with a good man."

Souta nodded dumbly. He didn't know what to say, and yet, there was so much he wanted to say. He just couldn't think of the words to express it all.

"Come home soon." Kohaku called across the room just as Kagome was taken from the room.

Kagome knew the moment Shino helped her into the back seat of the police car that she would be cut off from her family. She would be unable to maintain ties with her family. She watched the scenery go by now and sighed. It would have been one thing if Naraku had gotten AIDS.

By beating on him, she would have gotten it considering she'd broken the skin on her knuckles while repeatedly hitting him. Thankfully he had not gotten it though during his many sexual excursions.

Souta... well, Kagome didn't know what to think about Souta. He'd gotten closer to Kikyou, but it was obvious Kikyou was not interested in him and instead was crushing on Kokahu.

Yuri was interested in Miroku, Sango was interested in Souta, Miroku was unsurprisingly interested in Sango, and Rin had yet to get out of the Tokyohospital.

Of course, the girl nearly died, or so Kagome was led to believe... Kagome was sure she'd felt Rin die in that chamber, but either way she was glad Rin hadn't.

Now, where Kagome would end up was uncertain. Kagome had aspired to be an author since childhood, but now she wasn't so sure. Now, she thought she'd do better another way. Protecting people. She could be somewhat like her mother, only less 'Shrinky'. She chuckled at the thought.

As she watched the scenery crawl slowly by, she looked at Medallion's father through the wire window. She scooted over in her seat so she could lean forward to look at the man who'd helped to conceive Medallion.

"Hey, what'd you do to become a cop?" She asked, wondering. "Did you go through any special training?"

"College." Shino said back to her, turning down the scanner so they could hear each other easier. He was glad Kagome had not made a scene and had come quietly.

She seemed like a sensible person, and Shino knew what the effects of the disease she'd talked about were. He'd known several people who'd gotten it and died from it. He'd also known several people who'd committed suicide when they found out they had the disease.

"Yeah but like...what training did you get?" Kagome really wasn't sure why she was so interested, but at least conversation was better than nothing. She didn't want to be left to her thoughts. If she started thinking about a certain someone she was leaving behind... she knew she would just depress herself.

Surprisingly, who she was thinking about wasn't who you would think it would be. She had a loving boyfriend who wanted to marry her and who she wanted to marry; a delightful brother who did everything for her that he could and tried to make her life as fun as possible; a mother who cared for her with a stern no-nonsense hand yet loved her all the same; and friends who looked out for her just as she looked out for them.

Yet, it was none of these, surprisingly enough, who occupied her mind.

"Computer literacy, research methods, court procedures, criminal law, theories of criminal justice—"

"Really? What are some of the theories of criminal justice?"

Shino peered briefly at Kagome through the rear view mirror. His son had never taken an interest in such things as the theories of criminal justice. Shino knew it was probably a wide hope that his son would take after him and join the force.

Medallion, for all he was a decent shot, had completely lost his gut for the job after the kidnapping incident. It wasn't a very fun thought.

So while the two made their way through the crowded city, west towards the police station and the hospital, Shino began explaining and conversing with Kagome about the many things he'd gone through in college to be a part of the police force.

He found Kagome was rather intelligent; the questions Kagome asked him forced him to think carefully about his answers. In a way, he felt slightly baited by her but it was rather refreshing.

Kagome's wit and sarcasm made him laugh several times before they reached the police station. He felt bad for her, because he knew where she would most likely end up after the whole court dispute.

It was arguable that what Kagome had done was for self defense, but it really wasn't. Any way it was looked at, the act was not self defense considering all she had to do was restrain Naraku.

Instead, she had gotten completely and unnecessarily aggressive. It was obvious that her intent was to do bodily harm, and assault with the intent to do bodily harm could amount to up to ten years in jail.

"I don't regret doing it." Kagome said suddenly. She sat back in the seat, her mind wandering to the person she should least be thinking about. "Not after all he'd done to us in the past. We all bear the marks as proof."

Kagome jingled her wrist bells; they had been collected from the woods by the police and returned to their owner. "I was just repaying him, blow for blow." She sat listening to the scanner radio that was in the car.

Shino too was silent. It was true that Naraku was a drunk. Kagome was a good girl, with a clean record. Or at least, that was how he perceived her. So she didn't wear her school uniform; big deal.

She'd never been picked up by the police, never been reported for doing drugs, and the only bad act she'd ever been involved in was the kidnapping, and there she'd been a victim so that didn't count.

Naraku on the other hand had been jailed well over three hundred times in the past ten years for driving while intoxicated, getting into bar fights, and the patrons of Sunset's Shrine had reported him being the cause of several late night domestic disputes.

His driver's license had been revoked several times; he'd been reported for hiring prostitutes and sleeping with wives of faithful husbands... Shino's hands gripped the steering wheel tight until his knuckles turned white. His ex-wife was one of those wives. It still angered him every time he thought of it.

"Hey, Detective?" Kagome asked, leaning against the grate. Her eyes were laughing but she kept a serious look plastered firmly to her face.

Shino dragged himself out of his thoughts. "Yeah?"

"You know we passed the SPD right? I think your friend was waiting for you on the steps. He was waving at you, but you weren't paying attention. Oh, and you sped a red light."

Kagome bit her lip to keep from laughing as his eyes widened and he blushed, pulling over. "Hey, it's alright. We all have our off days."

Shino laughed bitterly. "Yeah. I suppose." He said. "It's only Tuesday; can you believe it?"

Kagome nodded. "I can believe it, but it doesn't seem like you can." Kagome thought for a moment, her mind wandering. Finally, she forced herself to stay on task.

Outside the warm vehicle it began to snow again, the January winds blowing the snow into every nook and cranny of every building and filling the air with a glistening glitter. "Hey, Detective? Would you do me a last favor?" She didn't wait for an answer before she asked what the favor was.

"I'll probably be in jail for ten years, so would you take me to Ohanami park? Please?" Ohanami park was Medallion's place of hang out. When he skipped school, he was often found there with a few of his friends. He was the leader of his little gang, but he wasn't the oldest. Some of his friends were graduated already.

She was hoping he'd be there, and that Shino would take her. She watched Shino's face as best as she could through the grate, trying to tell if he would say yes or no. It was difficult, as she couldn't see much of his face besides his ear and the corner of his mouth and eye.

"Alright. Where's the park?" Shino said after a long moment, staring at the cars that drove by, all of them slowing because they saw him parked there. One car slipped on an icy spot but the driver quickly righted it.

"It's on Ohanami road; just go three blocks down this road, turn left and go straight for two blocks before turning onto the parkway."

Shino followed the directions perfectly. When they got there, he looked around. The park wasn't that much of a spectacle. It was slightly run down from lack of care. The snow had not been shoveled from the paths of the park so the entire park was glistening with mostly unbroken snow.

Footprint paths, recent and old, were filling with the new falling snow. Shino let Kagome out of the vehicle and walked with her into the park. He wouldn't let her stay long, but his heart was soft towards her. Maybe she was the daughter he never had, but either way, she was a good girl and of that he was sure of.

He was going to be sure to get her record and Naraku's records presented to the court for evidence, or at least have them pointed out. Besides that, they couldn't stay long because Kagome wasn't wearing a coat and it was rather windy out.

Kagome made her way over to a large pile of snow, dragging her feet through three feet of snow to get there. The snow covered the picnic bench she usually leaned against when she waited for Medallion. From there, she looked to her right and saw the play ground equipment.

Medallion usually waited inside the jungle gym. He and his friends would spread tarps around it to make it more like a hollow igloo. The sticky snow stuck to the tarps and made it look more natural. She made her way to the opening in the little 'igloo', her wrists chafing slightly from the cuffs on them.

When she bent down to peer in, she was surprised to see that he was alone. She never thought he would be without at least two women by his side, and just as many male cronies. "Aww, is there no red carpet leading to your little hidey hole?" Kagome drawled, her voice exceptionally dry.

Medallion looked at her, surprise apparent on his face before his usual cocky smirk replaced it. "Come for another be—"

Kagome shrugged and whispered lowly so that Shino wouldn't hear her. Shino stood a few feet away, watching her back, but he couldn't see in the hole. "Daddy's here. I'd watch what you say and how loud you say it."

Medallion frowned, and then turned to stare back at the ceiling of the cold chambers. "What do you want?" He whispered.

She had already gotten what she'd wanted. She'd seen the person she'd been thinking about for the past forty minutes. Never in her life had she expected she'd think about him for so long.

"I'm about to go to jail. I'm collecting kisses." She said dismissively. "Enemies, friends, family, you name it."

Medallion was obviously trying to fight laughter. He really was a handsome man. He knew just how to make himself look good. That was the difference between him and the Nokugami boys, Kagome realized. Medallion was confident about his sex appeal. Inuyasha had a little confidence, but Sesshoumaru had absolutely no confidence at all.

Kagome grinned at him. "Actually, I've come to ask you a last favor. You know Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha Nokugami, right?"

Medallion nodded. "Yeah, sure, I know them. They went to Sunset Public 'bout ten years ago, before they moved to the east side of town and were transferred to Private. What about 'em?"

Kagome thought about how to word what she wanted to say. It was going to be a hard favor to fulfill, she knew, considering it was obvious that Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha did not care for Medallion at all, but no one she knew other than Medallion had the kind of confidence that Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha deserved as rich boys.

They couldn't get the kind of education they needed through any of Kagome's friends. She also needed a bartering tool. Something she could give him in payment of the favor.

She began carefully, laying out her plan in small amounts to be sure Medallion had everything correct. When she finished, it hadn't taken very long, she had him repeat what the plan was to her so she would know if he truly understood the full effects of it.

"So what do I get for this?" Medallion asked. "I don't do things for my enemies on natural go-with-the-flow terms."

"I know." Kagome said. "Fifteen hundred dollars, in cash. Got pen and paper?" Medallion dug in his backpack for his agenda. "Okay. I want you to write down..."

* * *

Raine stood still as her sister stuck the pins in the dress she'd been making for the college banquet. Raine would be a green and gold goddess when it was done, but not only that, if Rin fitted it any more perfectly, she'd never be able to get it off after she got into it!

Rin was good at that sort of thing though. Sewing was Rin's passion. There were five rooms in the basement. The bedroom, three storage rooms, and the hidden room.

Four of the rooms, including the bedroom, were filled with electronics and electronic parts. The fifth room, one of the storage rooms, was made into a comfortable warm room for Rin's sewing.

In there were storage draws of fabrics of all types and colors, spools of lace and ribbon in all colors and quantities, reels of yarn and string, and needles of all shapes and sizes. There was something for everything.

Raine looked at the many pins stuck into the fabric. There was no better job done to make clothes than Rin did. Her meticulous hands worked miracles with cloth. "Rin, don't you think this is a bit much?" Raine asked nervously.

She was wearing over a thousand dollars in fabrics and materials. She'd always been self conscious about her appearance. She wanted it to be perfect, and that was true, but she didn't like to show her figure in public. It was a trait that came with locking herself up in a dark basement almost 24/7.

"Nonsense." Rin said, her hands continuing their pinch and pin duties. "I thought I had measured this perfectly! Are you growing again?" Rin admonished, sighing. "It has only been four months since I last had you try this on! My goodness, you have sprouted an inch!"

Raine giggled at her sister. "It's not that big of a deal."

"Certainly it is!" Rin said with a frown. "I will have to bring this down an inch. It is good I made the extra room for error in the hem."

"Oh please, Rin, don't bother. It looks fine!"

"It has to go to your shoes, Raine, you must understand that. And I will spare nothing to make my sister beautiful. Tomorrow is the banquet and so tomorrow you will be the Cinderella of the ball!" Raine sighed. "No sighing!" Again, Raine sighed.

The little T.V that was in Rin's sewing room caught Raine's attention. She turned her head to look at it and saw the words "Kagome Higurashi – trial of" sprawled across the top, and "charged for assault and battery" underneath that. As the T.V news speaker talked in the screen, Kagome came on the screen, being led into a court room.

"Isn't that your friend, Rin?" Raine asked.

Rin turned to the screen and gasped. "It is! That is Kagome!" Rin moved over to turn up the volume so they could hear the news speaker and the two listened quietly, their eyes on the screen.

"—two days into the trial now." The news speaker said. "So far, as a recap of what has happened for those of you just tuning into channel seven news, Miss Higurashi was brought before the court for beating her father, Naraku Onigumo.

"Mr. Onigumo said he had no idea why his daughter rampaged against him. Witnesses say they saw Mr. Onigumo beating on Sunset's favorite Psychiatrist, Doctor Onigumo, and that Miss Higurashi was only trying to help restrain Mr. Onigumo.

"Up until now, Miss Higurashi's records have been completely clean, but in the past five years, Mr. Onigumo has been arrested over two hundred times—"

Rin's hands went to her mouth and she gasped. "Oh my!" She said. "Poor Kagome!"

"Shh, Rin. They're starting the trial." Rin watched anxiously.

"—parties rise for Judge Amylase." The police man said.

The man deemed Judge Amylase sat up on his podium and waved his hand dismissively before banging the gavel on the counter knock. "Be seated."

The camera scanned the audience and at the bottom of the screen it listed who important people were in relation to the trial. Kali was sitting just behind where Kagome was seated, Souta next to her.

It showed two people named May and Hakudoushi Taisei, naming them as Kagome's aunt and uncle, and these two were in support of Kagome as well. Behind Naraku was an elderly man who was titled Quina Onigumo and said to be Naraku's father.

The camera scanned the judges as Judge Amylase spoke. "Court is in session for the case of Kagome Higurashi verses Naraku Onigumo." The camera spun back to Judge Amylase. "People, let's try to wrap this up today. The court will first hear the plaintiff."

Naraku's lawyer stood up, his hands moving to straighten his tie and push his glasses back up his nose even though they were firmly in place. "I would like to call Kagome Higurashi to the stand." The two twins watching the T.V set wondered what was going on, but knew they wouldn't easily get the answer.

Kagome's lawyer nodded at Kagome slightly and then nudged her head towards the witness stand. As Kagome walked up there, the newscaster dictated everything that was happening. "The crowd is restless as the defendant heads to the witness stand. The only sounds heard are the shuffles of feet and rustles of clothing.

"Miss Higurashi takes her oath, and then settles down in the stand. Mr. Harold"—the two girls guessed that Mr. Harold was Naraku's lawyer, since he was doing what the newscaster dictated as she said it—"walks up to the stand and leans on it as though he owns the place. Who is this guy anyway? Who does he think he—"

The newscaster's voice was cut off and Mr. Harold's voice reigned supreme from the T.V. "Miss Higurashi. Would you please state for the court your name, your mother's name, and your brother's name?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Kagome snapped. "Why don't you ask me something relevant to the case?"

The newscaster's voice came on again. "It appears that after two nights and three days in a jail cell, Miss Higurashi has become rather short temper—"

Again the newscaster was cut off so that Mr. Harold's voice was heard. "Just answer the question." He said his lips tight in a frown.

Kagome seemed rather peeved but she did answer in a snippy voice. "My name is Kagome Higurashi, my mother's name is Kali Onigumo, and my brother is Souta Higurashi."

"Would you please state for the court why you are here?"

"Because I gave a man what he deserved."

Mr. Harold nodded at Kagome's lawyer. "The witness is yours. I have no further questions." He had a smirk on his face that made even Rin's half-electronic gut squirm.

Kagome's lawyer stood and walked to the stand, her heeled shoes clicking on the floor. "Miss Higurashi, could you please tell the court what the black and blue coloration to your mum's face is?"

"It's a bruise."

"And why is your mum's face bruised?"

"Because my father decided to beat the shit outta her."

Judge Amylase frowned down at Kagome. "Please watch your language."

"Whatever." Kagome grumbled, and then continued. "On Monday, I get home with my brother because we had to work and everything, and we heard some screaming and banging and smashing of things that shouldn't be heard in a shrine.

"It was mama screaming, so we raced up from the garage to get to her and saw him standing over her, holding her arm back and his foot on the back of her knee so she was bent almost like the letter 'u', and she's not young anymore, so she doesn't bend that way. He was beating her with his belt.

"We wouldn't have heard it in the garage if the door to the basement hadn't been open, because the walls of the shrine are coated in cork inside the insulation."

"Why did you attack him?"

"You'd have done it too if your mother was being whipped. This isn't the first time he's done it. My back, my baby brother's back, and my mother's back are all covered in welts, fresh and scarred. When the doctors saw mine and Souta's backs, they blamed it on the kidnappers. You took pictures of all of our backs."

"Yes, pictures were taken. I would like to submit to the court this evidence." She held up photos that were blurred on the T.V so viewers would be unable to see clearly.

Rin and Raine watched the whole court session, and at the end, a sentencing was given.

* * *

Kohaku clenched his fists. He was watching the news at home since they wouldn't let him go to the court. At least it wasn't ten years. That was a good thing, wasn't it? It was a very good thing.

Kohaku sighed, trying to calm himself. Kagome shouldn't have gotten punished at all, but they had to make an example at least. People couldn't just go around beating up their parents.

So Kagome only got three years, not in jail but in a finishing school in Raspuit of the Province Six. For three years there would be no contact between her and anyone she knew from Sunset.

Kohaku looked around the room he shared with Sango. They weren't poor, but the house wasn't filled with rooms like the shrine was. The majority of the house was all one giant room because his father was a martial arts teacher.

There was a large dining room where students and teacher ate during the day, a kitchen where cooks bustled during the day, and two bedrooms where their father had one and Sango and Kohaku had one.

There were three bathrooms: one for their father's room, one for their room, and one that was partitioned off like a public bathroom with stalls around each toilet.

That was why Sango and Kohaku shared a computer. They had separate cars that their father bought them, but they shared a computer, a bunk bed, and a television and its components: VCR, game consoles, you name it they probably had it.

Their dad liked to spoil them, but he'd never seen a reason to give them two computers if they shared a room. "Sango, what do you think?" Kohaku asked her. She sat on her bed, clipping her toenails.

"She shouldn't have gotten any time. Naraku had it coming. But Naraku got sixteen years in jail for all the years he put Kali and 'Gome and Souta through hell. That's something at least. Kagome at least is going to someplace civil."

Sango tossed the toenail clippers on the bed and stood, stretching. That done, she walked over to Kohaku and slung an arm around his shoulders. "Come on, little brother. I thought you broke up with her. Quit pining."

"That's just it." Kohaku said quietly. "We got back together a few weeks ago. Now I won't see her for a whole year. I'm gonna have to let her go, aren't I?" Kohaku knew what Sango would answer, but he still asked. His eyes danced with tears that he refused to shed and pushed back. "But I love her."

Sango hugged her brother. "Letting her go would be best. You know it, and I know it. Rin comes back to school on Monday, so why not just date her? She's a cute kid. And she's as much a mystery as Kagome."

"She's way skittish though."

"She'll get over it."

* * *

Kagome stared at the bunk above her little cot in the uncomfortably damp, dark cell. The place stank of cigarette smoke and vomit and the curtain around the toilet in the cell was ripped off its hooks and made useless.

She had to go to the bathroom, but even if the curtain was usable, she doubted she'd rest her bottom on that toilet seat. The pile was as sanitary as a heap of cow dung was edible.

The barred windows leaked, sending brisk winter air at her and making her shiver in the thin blanket she was given. That, at least, was clean and smelled of fresh linen. In the morning, she would be off to Keysville Airport and from there she would fly to Tokyoand from there would be driven to the finishing school.

Before she went, though, she would get to go home and visit her family until noon while packing. She would arrive in Tokyolate the next day so she and the escort assigned to pick her up in Tokyowould rent a hotel room for the night and she would be at the school sometime on Sunday.

She would not get to see or talk to or hear from her family for three years. It was going to be a long three years, of that she was sure. The finishing school, thankfully, was not just females.

It was gender welcoming, though the females went to learn to be proper noble women, and the males went to learn such things as business and law. Kagome would be schooled in business and law as well, but no one would expect her to do anything except be a loving wife and a good cook.

The truth of the matter was that the majority of women wanted to just be supported by their husbands. Very few wanted to support themselves, but the government wanted the support of the few who did want to make something of them self so they had to give women at least a start in learning their ranks.

The majority of women who tried their luck on business usually both failed and decided to stick with their families until they got a husband, or else were pampered and primped to look like mannequins in store windows for the public and often raised public appeal for that particular company. The women never really got very far on the power chain, but there were a few who made it to the top.

Kagome wanted to be one of those who made it in business. She didn't want to be a little placid housewife. Her mother was famous all over Earth and even in Europe around France, Germany and Sweden she was well known.

Some of the richer stars had come to see Kali Onigumo and ask for help on problems. Kali was considered one of the most successful businesswomen of the 3004 year, and critics were saying that now that it was likely that Kali would be the most successful businesswomen of 3005 as well, even though it was only in the start of the year, the second week in January.

If her mother could make it to being successful, even with a man like Naraku dragging her down constantly; Kagome was sure she could make it as well. But she didn't want to be a Psychiatrist. Those weren't the footsteps she wanted to follow.

She admired Detective Takai and the work he did. He put his life on the line many times because he knew what was right and what had to be done. Still, even those footsteps weren't ones she wanted to follow.

She wanted to be able to protect anyone, for free, but not work on the police force. She wasn't sure how she would do it, but she knew she could somehow. She wanted to be able to choose where she went and what jobs she did.

If she were on the police force, she would not be able to choose that. It would be her boss' decision and she would be bound to following orders.

* * *

Relic looked around the banquet, disappointed. He'd been planning to go to this with Sammy but now she was gone and settled into her new apartment. She was working two jobs and it seemed she was having the time of her life doing it.

She was a waitress at a restaurant and a cook at another. The cooking job had surprised him. Sammy never cooked with him, so he couldn't help but wonder if the new arrangement was meant to be.

He fixed the tie on his tuxedo and again looked around the room. He'd been invited to this banquet, so he didn't want to just not go. Besides that, Tea had gone to Sammy's new apartment for the weekend to go to the zoo with Sammy and Relic didn't want to deny Sammy and Tea some fun.

If he'd have stayed home though, there would have been nothing to do. He figured by coming here, there would be someone intelligent to talk to but so far he'd had no luck at all trying to find someone who would talk to him about anything other than the banquet.

Again, his eyes scanned the room. It was decorated with gold angels and murals and many women wore ridiculously expensive gowns that puffed out from their body making them look like they had asses the size of a boulder.

Some females wore more modest gowns and seemed unnaturally comfortable in their current settings. Men were wearing tuxedos and their shirt colors varied to match the colors of their date's gowns.

There were caterers making their way around the room with champagne glasses and caviar, seeing as how everyone seemed to be at least eighteen.

The affair was quite marvelous, when stripped to the essentials. The thing that set off the mood was a group of females without dates it seemed who wore outfits that could hardly be considered for the occasion.

When a caterer offered him a glass of champagne, he took it with small thanks and continued looking around. There were seating areas everywhere except on the dance floor.

A group of band members played classical music on a podium, the sound light and wispy. A few people danced with the music but most people stood around, talking in groups of four or five about the banquet.

Relic made his way around the room, running a hand through his hair as he always did when he was either bored or frustrated. This time he was bored. He sipped the champagne as he watched the student board get ready for the auction.

Those who signed up would be auctioned off and the money collected from the auction would be split in half, one half going to charities and the other half going to support the student board so that more events such as this one could happen again.

As he sipped his drink again, his eyes wandering the room, he saw from the corner of his eye two females eyeing him up like candy. He ignored them and continued on his way, searching for one of his friends.

En route to finding his friends, he noticed a young girl accepting a glass of champagne from a caterer. She didn't look old enough to be in college, much less drinking! Of course, he knew he would probably be wrong and she just looked like a fifteen year old. Looking so young would certainly come in handy later on in life for her, he knew.

Her dress was modest against her crème colored skin, her black hair up in a tight bun with two tiny curled clumps left to hang down to frame her face. Instead of bangs, it seemed she'd grown them out to her chin.

She had rosy cheeks, bright red lips, and green shadow on her eyes. Her nails were green and looked manicured, her dress made out of green silks that rustled with her movements, with layered petticoats. She sat on a couch, her skirts fanning her crossed legs.

She had a book in one hand and looked to be reading it, her lips moving slightly as though she were trying to memorize the words, and her hand moving to set the glass of champagne next to two other empty glasses on a stand nearby.

He watched as one of his friends (now he knew where at least one was) walked up to the girl and moved closer so he could hear what was said. "Hey, cutie." His friend said to the girl, and she looked up at him, quirking an eyebrow at his wording.

"Hello." She said standing, her gown rustling with the movement. Relic saw that she'd taken off the heels she wore, and when he saw the heels set nearby, the height of the heels, he knew he would have taken them off too if he were a girl.

He'd never wear them since he was a guy though. Her voice seemed pleasant and naturally soprano, a beautiful ring to it unlike the screechy sopranos of most of the women he'd met that night. She closed her book, as though to give the man in front of her complete attention.

"Care to dance?" His friend held out a hand to the girl as he began to lay on the charm for her benefit. Relic saw her put a hand on her chest and flutter her eyelashes at him, as though she were honored, and his friend grinned and took her hand in his.

She pulled her hand away, the cute little smile having been turned into a smirk. "I never gave you permission to touch me, did I?" She asked. "You should be more careful who you flirt with. Someone might just best you, if you're not."

Relic watched his friend blush and walk away and then his eyes trailed back to the girl. She settled herself back on the couch and reopened her book.

He began to make his way over to the couch, but a girl rushed by him, her heels clicking quickly on the polished floor as she made her way over to the girl on the couch. The girl seemed angry as she stood before the girl on the couch.

"How dare you!" The girl hissed. "You stole my high score!" The girl in the gold dress looked like she could have an apoplexy any moment.

The girl on the couch stood, snapping her book shut irritably. "Now you see here. I don't have time for an argument with you on who is better at what."

"Testing, one two testing." A girl up on the podium where the band used to be stood with a microphone in her hand and a smile on her face. Relic recognized her as the girl who headed up the student board.

She was the first female to head the student board since the college was opened. Slowly the attention of all the people in the room turned to the girl.

Relic guessed that the auction would be starting soon, but since he hadn't signed up and he wasn't going to participate in the buying of other guys, he figured to just sit back and relax.

The girl in the gold dress disappeared towards the event as it started and Relic made his way to the couch, taking a seat next to the girl in the green dress. The couch wasn't all that big, but they weren't smashed together either.

As he sipped his champagne and watched his friends' auction themselves off, the girl looked at him as he'd expected she would. "May I help you?" She asked in a clipped tone of voice.

The book was once again snapped shut with irritation as her lips pursed in a frown. The many visits she'd been having lately probably made her more than irritable.

"No. I'm on a quest to find a single intelligent person in this room and you caught my eye. That and that you look fifteen and are drinking champagne." Relic ran a hand through his hair.

The girl calmed down considerably, chuckling. "I'm seventeen, and it's sparkling white grape soda, not champagne."

Relic laughed at his own error and took another drink of his champagne, looking at the girl again. She did look older now that he was closer. "Aren't you going to participate in the auction?" He inquired, figuring that every woman would contribute to the auction because of the cause.

"I have no time for senseless dating. If I want to donate to a charity, I'll go make my donation at their headquarters." She turned back to her book. "Besides. The only reason I am here tonight is because my sister forced me to come."

Relic chuckled at her answer. She certainly was amusing. "You have a point. So are you a freshman? You must be, huh?"

The girl smiled, a small laugh escaping her lips. "I am a senior, but I will not be graduating for a few years."

He knew surprise showed on his face. "When did you start?"

"Now, Relic, I thought you were smarter than this! Obviously four years ago." The girl smiled.

Relic looked at the girl who obviously knew him but he didn't recognize her at all. He couldn't put a name to her face, if he ever knew her name in the first place. "So you know who I am? Then might I know yours in return?"

She laughed quietly and nodded. "Alright. I'm Raine Okuna." Raine held out her hand to him, obviously to shake his in greeting, but instead, Relic shocked both himself and her by taking her hand and kissing her knuckles.

"Relic Johnson, but you obviously already know me." He said in return. He watched her blush prettily. It was obvious she wasn't used to such attentions. "So you're reading Robert Frost, are you? He's rather old."

Raine nodded. "Yes. I have to take a test on Monday and I couldn't just give up tonight's study time, so I brought it."

"Wasn't he an old author?"

She nodded and smiled. "Yeah. Over a thousand years ago."

"I'm surprised that some work from so long ago survived so long."

Relic's friends coming over interrupted the two's conversation, irritating both conversers. "Ziggy, man, come on! We signed you up for the auction!" one said.

"What?" Relic snapped. Hearing those words made him shudder. Most likely he would get some brainless girl who got into college purely because of her looks and passed classes the same way like the blond she was.

"I don't have time for the auction guys! Un-sign my name or something! I don't want to spend the evening with a brainless blond!"

"We can't 'un-sign' you." Another said, exasperated. "And those brainless blonds happen to be hot! What's the matter with you?"

Relic cursed his rotten luck as his friends dragged him to the stage.

Raine felt the unnatural urge to giggle helplessly and wondered if she was coming down with some sort of strange virus, but instead, after Relic had been dragged off, she decided to help him again.

She never did anything without receiving anything in return, but for once she was going to be just plain Raine, not Raine the Hacker. She knew her budget. She knew how much she could spend, and by the time Relic was ready to be auctioned off, Raine would buy him.

After all, he was a smart guy, and would make interesting conversation at least, and if he didn't, she wouldn't really be at a loss. She could just send him on his way after making him pay her back.

She put her heels on and made her way to the stage with her book, the green silks of her gown shushing with every move she made, and her heels clicking on the floor. She couldn't get very close, but the podium was higher up so she would be seen if she called out and raised her hand.

"The bidding will start at fifty dollars for Relic Johnson. Do I hear fifty? I have fifty dollars over there, in the white. Does anyone dare to raise that? Do I hear seventy-five? Seventy-five? Anyone? Come on this is for charity!" the auctioneer called out.

Raine grumbled and pushed her way to the stage, not feeling like being at the back. She was much closer to the front when the auctioneer started to close the deal, so she raised her hand. "Seventy-five!" She called out.

"One hundred!" Another girl called out. Raine guessed it was the first girl who bid, but couldn't be sure. She continued to push her way to the front, finally squeezing out, a little unsteady on her feet as she wasn't used to heels.

"Would the lady in green like to raise it to one twenty-five?" The auctioneer asked.

Raine looked at him, and then let her eyes rest on Relic, who looked relieved to see her. She nodded. "One twenty-five."

"I have one twenty-five! Care to go any higher?" He inquired of the audience. There was suddenly a flurry of motions, and the stakes kept rising as more and more women bid on Relic.

Raine kept silent, letting the other bidders wear themselves out, and watched Relic's face grow more and more desperate. As soon as the other bidders had worn each other out, she struck hard and fast, and in the end, she came out the winner and Relic looked about to kiss her he was so grateful.

"Where do you want to go?" He asked. "I'll take you anywhere."

Raine shrugged. "I'd like to go home."

"But you just bought me, didn't you?"

Raine didn't appear to care. "So what? You don't understand." She lifted her skirts and showed him her heels which raised her three inches. "These hurt my feet, and I have to get them off before I tip over. Besides, this place bites."

* * *


	9. Ninth Chapter

The morning dawned cold and grey, and for Kagome it only served to make her bitterer than before. Three years, she would be without contact to her family and friends. Frankly, when she thought about it, she didn't know how she would make it.

The time she was able to spend with her family while she packed that morning was hardly enough and before she knew it, she was on her way to Keysville to begin the journey to a small town near Raspuit, and the finishing school that awaited her in that town. At first, she had thought it was Raspuit she would be going to, but she turned out to be wrong.

She slept most of the plane ride, not wanting to remember the last time she was on a plane considering that time wasn't all that pleasant to recall. She could remember being trapped inside her mind during that plane ride, half awake and half asleep.

There had been two little images fighting inside her mind, and she could recall that fight never had been resolved.

Beside her was her cousin Lea, who was her escort to West City. Apparently, Lea was a detective, but Kagome had never realized that was possible. Lea didn't strike Kagome as the type to be cut out for detective work. No surprise there, huh?

In West City, she and Lea rented a hotel room from which the escort from Tokyowould pick her up in the morning, and Kagome lay on her bed, her mind swirling with thoughts. She'd not been gone even a half day, and she already felt lonely.

She could not talk to Lea about what bothered her, because she knew right away that Lea would offer her some crack-pot solution that wouldn't help her at all. So she was forced to try to deal with her thoughts alone, and since she had rested up on the plane, she had lots of time in the hotel room to think to herself.

The drive to Raspuit was pleasant enough with her new escort, and from Raspuit, they switched roads and began heading west towards the town of Snowsville.

Kagome found the town was about the size of Sunset, and that the 'finishing school' wasn't a boarding school like she had thought. Her escort explained to her that she'd be staying with an elderly woman at a temple and would be able to walk to school every day.

After hearing that, Kagome relaxed a bit. It was a relief to know she'd be living in a place somewhat like her own home. She and her escort each carried a bag of her things up the steps to what would be known as Kagome's new home for the next three years.

While Kagome was hardly winded at all when they reached the top of the stairs, her escort was panting heavily, sweating profusely, and dragging his feet. She took her bag from him and let him catch his breath just inside the temple gate, while she looked around and examined their surroundings.

They stood in a courtyard surrounded by a wooden stockade. The gate was large and made of wood, also left open. There were a few benches here and there in the courtyard, but not many.

The temple itself was large and made of wood, not stone like Kagome's family's shrine was. The layout of the shrine, though it seemed smaller in size, felt similar to Kagome's family's shrine, minus the tree in the courtyard.

"So this is the girl, huh?" Kagome turned her head to look at the speaker, finding an elderly woman standing nearby with a hardened look to her face. Her hair was wavy and pink, her eyes brown, and her figure seemed firm and muscled.

She wasn't back bent and using a cane like Kagome had expected, but instead she stood tall and proud, though she was a head shorter than Kagome. She had the look of someone who should and was respected, despite her gnarled, callused hands that she kept clasped firmly behind her, the wrinkles in her face, and the sarcasm that drenched her voice.

Kagome bowed her head respectfully to the woman. She noted the woman's clothes. They seemed more like a trainer's kimono than the priestess robes that were usually worn at temples and shrines, but they were white for the pants and undershirt, and red for the over coat. The belt and sash were blue.

"Yeah, this is her." Kagome's escort said, having finally caught his breath. "Her name is Kagome Higurashi. Either way, now I'm going back." He turned and began the descent down the stairs.

"Follow me, girl." The woman turned and headed towards the temple's front doors, sliding them open. Kagome picked up her second suitcase and headed after the old lady.

When she caught up to the old lady, the woman said, "My name is Genkai." She said. "I like peace and quiet, so there will be no pissing and moaning about the arrangements."

"Yes, Genkai." Kagome said. Kagome felt small compared to Genkai and considering she was taller than Genkai, she didn't know how this was possible. It could have been the presence that the elderly lady exuded, but she wasn't sure.

She felt a small pain in her chest building, but ignored it, as it was a minor annoyance.

Genkai stopped at a door finally after many twists and turns down dark drafty corridors and slid it open. "This will be your room. If you need anything, I'm usually around here someplace."

As Genkai turned and walked down the corridor, Kagome felt more alone than ever before. She was a long ways from home, and unlike when she was kidnapped, this time she didn't have Souta or any of her friends.

Kagome walked into her room and looked at her new home. There were the usual items you found in a bedroom, of course, like the bed which was covered in heavy winter blankets, and the desk made of solid oak. There was a closet and a bathroom connected to the room which had a stand up shower, a sink, and a toilet.

Kagome unpacked, putting her clothes in the closet, finding drawers at the bottom of the closet to put her undergarments, and placing her photos of her family and friends on the desk. She put the photo of her, her mother, and Souta on the bedside table.

With nothing else to do, and not knowing where to begin to think of what to do next, Kagome lay down to try to organize her thoughts. She was asleep almost before her head hit the pillow.

When Kagome woke, it was because her bell choker was digging into her neck. She'd forgotten to take it off before lying down so she did so now as she sat up in the dark room, placing the choker on the bedside table next to the picture of her family.

As her eyes adjusted to the dim room, she recalled her little going away party. All of her friends had been there, and some of the violinists had shown up as well. Anyone who meant anything to Kagome had been there, and even Medallion had shown up –if only to collect his money, but he had still shown up.

She smiled at the memory. She had collected kisses from everyone, even if they didn't want it, girls on the cheek, guys on the lips (minus Souta because he was her brother). Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha showed up out of respect, and besides that they also had group counseling that they couldn't get out of.

Kagome stood and walked to her window, opening its curtains to find the full moon staring down at her from a star filled sky. As the light washed the room in a moonlit glow, she smiled. Three years would pass before she knew it and soon she would be back at home in Sunset.

She couldn't imagine actually living somewhere other than Sunset. It was her home. It was where all her friends were, and her family, and her rivals and enemies. Except one. One couldn't be found anywhere.

The gold skinned woman couldn't be found, and Kagome wanted her to pay dearly for shooting Rin. She was mad enough at herself for allowing Rin to get hurt.

"I will find you." She whispered to the unhearing moon, though her words were meant for the woman. Its gaze upon the earth never wavered, never flinched. It was not afraid of Kagome, or anything for that matter. She stared at it, and it stared back.

She saw the pockets and folds in the moon, created from being a shield for Earth from flying debris in the atmosphere. It saw the pockets and folds in her soul, her weaknesses and her strengths.

Kagome tore her eyes from the honest moon and let the moonlight bath her body of impurities. She thought it was funny that she was worried now about impurities when she was no longer a virgin, but even if she could change the way things had been, she wouldn't.

Desires could drive a person to do things that they later on regretted, but they could also drive a person to do something that they would always remember and never regret. Kagome knew she would never regret that special night with Kohaku.

Kagome made her way to her desk quietly and picked up the photo in the little frame shaped like a heart. The frame was made of pure silver that reflected the moon's glow pleasantly. Inside the frame was what she wanted though. It was the picture that was held between a piece of glass and a piece of cardboard, and then backed completely with a silver back.

There was Kohaku. He stood behind Kagome with his arms wrapped around her shoulders, hugging her, his cheek against hers and a loving smile on his face. His chocolate brown eyes didn't hold the hidden meaning that they did now, because this picture was taken before the kidnapping. He was just happy in the picture. Now, though, he was mysterious and somewhat secretive.

She smiled; touching her lips as she recalled the kiss Kohaku had given her when Lea had shown up to take her to Keysville Airport. Kohaku's kiss, though he had verbally told her he was no longer interested in her, had severely contradicted his verbal statement.

There was so much emotion in that kiss, so much need and desire. And she had not held back either. She made sure he knew that she loved him through that one kiss.

It seemed far too cliché, like a lame movie line that had been overused, that they would kiss just as she was about to leave, but no one objected. By that time, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha had been gone, the violinists had left to go to practice with their single leader Sesshoumaru before the New Years Concert even though New Years was over, and Lea was waiting patiently against her sleek mustang convertible.

Kagome looked at the window again and noticed how light it had become already. She sighed wistfully and set the frame back in its original position on the desk. Next she looked towards her bathroom door.

She would need a shower in order to be best presentable for her new school. She wasn't about to wear the uniforms in the closet either. The person who had guessed on her size had guessed she was much smaller and a skirt that goes only half way down your rear is not exactly your best friend.

In light of the fact that she would go in clothes that were not the school's uniform, she ran her hands over her clothes in her closet, debating on what to wear to best suit her situation. First day at a new school.

She decided if she was going to break the rules, why not make a statement about it? The courts never said she couldn't disobey the rules just that she couldn't speak with her family and friends from Sunset.

She picked out her silver silk tank top that read "Hell's Bitch" in black across the chest with a black dragon on the stomach area, a wide strapped black tank top underneath that, and a pair of baggy black pants that fit her hips with two silver stripes going up the outside of each of the legs.

When she got into the bathroom she noticed that there were two other doors beside her own that led into the bathroom, so just to be safe she locked those so no one would accidentally walk in on her.

After showering and letting the steaming hot water run over her back to distill the burning feeling that came when her shampoo got into the welts, she dressed and wrapped her hair in the towel while she did her make up, heavy black eyeliner, silver-blue eye shadow, and her favorite silver lipstick.

She scrubbed her hair trying to dry it before removing the towel and running her brush through it gently to get rid of any knots so she could split it into three equal sections and braid it like she used to have it all the time. It was much longer now, going to her thighs.

Just as she was finishing up, someone began banging on one of the doors so she gathered all her things in her hands, flipped the locks to being unlocked, and left the bathroom, closing her bathroom door as she did. She guessed she shared a bathroom with someone when she saw the other doors, and now she knew she was right.

Finally she grabbed her backpack, taking the books off the desk chair that had been placed for her school supplies, and shoved the text books into her bag before getting ready to go.

A small meek knock on the door to the hall caught her attention and she crossed the room shouldering her backpack before opening the door. The girl who stood before her was about three inches shorter than her with long brown hair tied back at the nape of her neck and mud brown eyes.

She wore the blue skirt and suit coat uniform of the school and had a little brown briefcase in her hand that she most likely used to tote her school work back and forth between schools and wherever else she would go.

She wore tall stockings on her feet and a heavy winter coat, her day shoes were probably in the briefcase while boots were on her feet, just as Kagome's tennis shoes that she'd wear inside the school and put in her shoe locker were in her backpack, the shoes she'd wear around otherwise were on her feet.

"Hello. I'm Keiko Yukimura." She said quietly and held out a hand politely to Kagome. She frowned, disapproving Kagome's choice of clothes, but Kagome could care less what people think of her clothes.

She liked them, and she wasn't going to change unless it was raining, in which case she still really wouldn't change but just would throw on a hoodie sweatshirt. As it was, she grabbed her jacket from the hook by the door where she'd hung it before shaking Keiko's hand.

"Kagome Higurashi." Kagome said, wondering what the girl was doing at the temple. She looked flushed, and her brow was a little sweaty as though she'd just run the mile, her breathing was heavy though she tried to calm it.

"I'm here to show you to the school. I'm Vice President of the Wyman Student Board, so it's my job to make sure you have everything you need for school, and I'll watch you today to find out who might best suit you for showing you about the town."

Keiko huffed, out of air from her long winded speech. "Oh, I'm sorry." She breathed, holding her stomach. "I'm just a bit winded from all those steps!" She had an air about her that struck Kagome as Karei-like, even though she was being polite.

Kagome chuckled. "You should exercise more." She pointed out. "If you did, you wouldn't be so winded."

Keiko made a face, her breathing still a pant, but lengthening out steadily. "My boyfriend says that too." She looked stern after that for a moment as though debating something and then opened her mouth to speak her mind.

Kagome stopped her before she could even begin. "I'm not changing clothes."

Keiko's jaw snapped shut again, proving to Kagome that she'd been about to argue the clothes. Her jaw was clenched, and if Keiko clenched it any harder, Kagome was sure she'd hear the bones grinding together.

Keiko would be mad because Kagome, who would be considered the new girl, had just talked her off. Kagome had made sure her tone of voice left no room for argument.

"Hmph." Keiko stuck her nose in the air and pointed to the door next to Kagome's room door. "Miss Yuukaku is in there. She'll show you around the town and to school. And just remember; I'm watching you." Keiko's tone left Kagome on 'jerk alert'. Already Kagome didn't like Keiko. It was like another Karei and that was no good thing.

Kagome bowed to her mockingly. "Yes, your highness." She said in a dry voice as she stood once more. Keiko looked like a red hot tea kettle boiling over, and Kagome was forced to bite a laugh back. She couldn't understand why Keiko wouldn't like being mocked.

With a small grin quirking her lips she said, "You know, with your red face and the brown hair, you could pass for a rotten tomato if you wanted to."

Keiko's eyes went wide with anger and her nostrils flared out. "What did you say to me, you insolent wretch?" She yelled pointing a finger at Kagome. "Parentless loafer!" Kagome had no idea why Keiko would think Kagome was a parentless loafer. For one, Kagome had parents!

"Hey, now, Yukimura, is that polite?" A girl leaned against the doorway to the room Keiko had pointed to, looking elegant even in a black leather tube top, black skin fitting long-sleeved mesh shirt, and tight black leather pants.

Her black hair was up in a perfect bun and she had a green clip in her hair that held two feathers, just above her left ear which was pointed. Her red almond shaped orbs were filled with laughter though her lips, covered with black lipstick, were in a straight no-nonsense line as she looked Kagome over just as Kagome was looking her over.

Even her shoes made her look elegant; those being open toed high heels, showing painted black toenails, perfectly trimmed. She had green earbobs in her ears, and Kagome knew she was a half-demon just by looking at her.

The girl held a paper fan in her hand, tapping it steadily against her crossed arms in time with the ticking of the grandfather clock that was at the end of the hall, about to ring the seventh hour of the morning. Kagome guessed that the girl was 'Miss Yuukaku'.

Keiko sneered at the girl, hate making her ugly. "Yuukaku, you get to watch her." She said, putting loathing into the words before jogging off down the hall towards the grandfather clock. As she turned the corner, the clock chimed the seventh hour.

The girl walked forward towards Kagome and circled her. "Where did you get those pants?" she questioned curiously, her nature much more friendly now that Keiko was gone.

Kagome grinned. "I got them shopping with my mom and brother."

"And this shirt?" the girl stopped circling Kagome and held out her hand. "I'm Kagura Yuukaku, by the way. Don't worry about Yukimura. She's a bitch to anyone who doesn't follow the rules, even her boyfriend. She's a stickler."

"Kagome Higurashi." Kagome said, taking the offered hand and shaking it. "And I got the shirt quite a few years ago actually. I bought most of my clothes from a shop in Sunset called 'Quilt Designers'."

Kagura nodded. "Well, just one more year until I can go there then." She said. She turned and walked back to her room door. "There's still an hour until we have to leave for school, so come talk to me. It gets boring with only Hiei to talk to and he's in the shower."

Kagome followed the girl with a smile. She liked that there was a small town where demons were accepted. They weren't all that accepted in Sunset, and she intended to change that someday. It wasn't like they were chased with pitchforks and torches or anything, though.

The town just refused to associate with people who claimed they're demons. If you look different, it's not quite as bad, but it still does have an affect on certain people.

Kagura's room was as simple as Kagome's, though she did have more than Kagome. Had it not been for the stereo, the bean bag chair, the book shelf, and the CD rack, it would have been exactly the same only without the pictures Kagome had.

Kagura had two pictures only, and they were hung on the wall above her bed. One was of a woman probably in her late twenties to early thirties, smiling with a young girl of about twelve sitting next to her, and on the woman's lap was a little child who would barely be able to hold their head up dressed in pink.

Kagome guessed the little child was a girl because of the pink. What mother in their right mind would humiliate their newborn boy enough so to dress them in pink anyway?

Kagome thought the elder girl looked kind of like Kagura, only younger. Now, Kagura looked to be about eighteen or so. "Is this your family?" Kagome asked, indicating the picture she was looking at.

"Yeah." Kagura said, a hint of sadness in her voice that she tried to hide, but Kagome found anyway. "That's me, my mom, and my baby sister before the accident."

"Accident?" Kagome inquired carefully, knowing or figuring it could be a touchy subject.

She was proven right when Kagura forced a smile, shaking her head. "I don't want to bore you." She said softly. She sat in her desk chair, picking at a thread on her mesh shirt sleeve.

Kagome wasn't stupid. She could read the signs. Kagura wanted to talk to someone sympathetic about what happened, and now here was Kagome, but Kagura couldn't find the words to start out with, and didn't know if Kagome would be that sympathetic person in the first place.

Kagome turned to look at the second picture. The picture held Kagura sitting with a little girl dressed in a white kimono on her lap. Kagura wore a kimono that was checkered with strange arrays of color, and she had her hair done up exactly like it was done now, up in a prime bun with the feather clip in her hair and the green earrings and instead of black lips her lips were blood red. The fan was unfurled in one of her hands.

The girl on her lap had long pure white hair with a white flower hair clip in her hair and white bows all over the kimono she wore. She held a mirror in her hands like it were her teddy bear, strangely enough the mirror did not reflect. Her eyes were stark black and though Kagura was smiling, the little girl was not.

"Kagura, the only thing that bores me is my ovulating cycle." She joked to lessen the tension she could sense building.

Kagura chuckled, smiling. "How can you get bored when you're ovulating? You're always on edge, like as though you'll start leaking any moment! At least, that's how it is for me."

Kagome shrugged. "Well, maybe I'm special." She winked at Kagura and left it at that, looking at the pictures again. "Is your sister here?" She guessed that it was her sister in the second photo.

Kagura sighed and stood from the chair, walking over to the photo and looking at it for a moment. "No." She shook her head after a moment, turning away again. "Kanna was adopted two weeks ago. That picture was taken a week ago. I bought two copies, so she can have one and I can have one. Today after school, I go to pick her up from the elementary school so I'm going to give it to her then."

Kagome nodded her understanding. Now she knew why Keiko called her a 'Parentless loafer'. Keiko thought she had no parents because she now lived in what was obviously an orphanage. "Then she lives nearby?" Kagome asked.

"No, she lives in Raspuit." Kagura frowned and turned, walking back to her desk and sitting at it. "It's about twenty five miles away, maybe thirty, but Hiei and I make the trip every Monday and Thursday after school. While we're there, we do things like shop for Genkai and for ourselves."

Kagome walked over to Kagura and leaned against the girl's desk, smiling slightly. "It's good that you'll do that for her. She probably misses you a lot when she can't see you."

"Fay, where's my toothbrush?" A male's voice asked as he entered the room from the bathroom door. Both Kagome and Kagura looked to the door, both thinking they were the one called. It was Kagura that the man was talking to.

As he pulled the towel off his head, Kagome saw his hair flop in his face like a wet mop. He had crimson eyes framed by long lashes that would have looked feminine if it were on anyone else, and looked perhaps an inch taller than tiny little Rin.

He was bare of a top, but his pants were black and baggy, with biker's boots on his feet. He had a third eye on his forehead that stared directly at Kagome while his two normal eyes looked at Kagura.

On his hands he had claws, his ears were pointed much like Kagura's were, and when he opened his mouth, Kagome could see his fangs just as when Kagura opened hers she could see her fangs.

"I don't know." Kagura said quirking an eyebrow. "Check your ass. Maybe you stuck it up there?"

Kagome stifled a laugh, knowing that was exactly how she talked to her friends as well. It was odd seeing it put into action. She reached up to her neck and touched the bell choker, making sure the blue metal star was in place in the center of her neck. She hated when it got twisted around because then it just looked stupid and pointless. It was still where it should be.

The guy scoffed. "Yeah, whatever. Who's she?"

Kagura grinned. "Your worst nightmare..."

Kagome couldn't hold it anymore. She started snickering, which turned into an all out laugh. It was all too familiar. Time would not go as slow as she first thought. These two, if she didn't screw up a friendship with them, would make time go all the more faster.

The introduction was quick. Hiei Emporia was rather quiet most of the time, or so Kagome found out on the walk to school, while Kagura poked and prodded him into talking, not letting him get off the hook on any subject.

But just because he didn't talk as much did by no means mean that he was slow. His wit and sarcasm lashed like Naraku's belt and left split wounds to fester and burn. He too was a demon, but he was fully demon, not a half-breed.

His blood was mixed, but he was a full demon. As his hair dried, it began to stick up in the air like an arrow point, silver streaming his hair like a bright crescent.

At the school, Kagome saw many others too who were demon or half-demon. Kagura had Kagome sit with her and Hiei at lunch and Kagome soon saw that, once an outcast, always an outcast; she had again joined a group of outcasts.

She didn't mind it though. She knew she would feel more comfortable with Kagura and Hiei than she'd ever feel with any of the 'in' groups.

Unlike in Sunset, Kagome wasn't pressured to 'lead' the group, and she delighted in that. Neither Hiei, nor Kagura took the lead either. It was a 'play as you go' sort of thing. It didn't take Kagome long to figure that out. It only took a half day.

She had connected with the two quite well by the time the first day was out, and Kagura asked her if she wanted to go with them to Raspuit.

"Sure, why not? It isn't like I have anything else to do." Kagome replied as they reached the temple. They put their backpacks in Kagura's room since it was the closest to the exit, and Kagome followed Hiei and Kagura as they went to find Genkai.

"We have to find Genkai and ask if we can borrow her car." Kagura explained. "Otherwise there's no point really, because we won't really get anywhere by walking will we?"

Kagome shrugged. "I suppose not." She said, and though normally when asked such a question, the person receiving the question would feel offended, Kagome did not.

Genkai grumbled about it, but she reluctantly agreed. Apparently, the old woman just didn't want anyone to know she was kind hearted, so she acted gruff and uncaring. It was amusing. "Don't crash my car." Genkai hollered after them. "It's worth more than all of you!"

Kagome laughed as they got into the car, Hiei sitting in the middle of the old barely repaired junker's front seat and Kagome in the passenger seat. Someone would have sat in the back, but there was no back. It was just a small car with a front seat that they squished into.

Hiei, being only four feet ten inches, a whole foot shorter than Kagura and a half foot shorter than Kagome, was forced into the middle. It wasn't that he seemed to mind. In fact, he rather seemed to enjoy himself there. He snaked an arm around both girl's waists, a large grin on his face after they were buckled.

"I'm just a lucky kind of guy." He said.

He reminded Kagome of a certain two perverted friends that she had in Sunset. Of a mix of Kohaku and Miroku, except minus the whole "bear my child" thing that was Miroku's trademark pickup line.

When Kagome felt Hiei's hand slipping up her shirt, she grabbed his hand and pulled it back to a respectable position.

Just because she and Kohaku were recently broken up, for the second time, didn't mean by any means that she didn't still think about him and long for that hand to be Kohaku's and not Hiei's. So she avoided the thoughts by keeping his hand at a distance.

"Pervert!" Kagura yelped, managing to elbow Hiei in his leftmost eye. He'd put a bandana over his third eye so that no one would see it, but both girls knew it was there.

The car swerved to the left as it pulled out of the temple driveway and Kagura quickly righted it again, the tires slipping on snow and ice a bit.

Kagome laughed as Kagura pulled the car to a stop and turned in her seat to glare at Hiei. "Just because you have the middle, doesn't give you the right to cup a feel, you little jerk!"

Hiei grinned, one hand going to his painfully bruised and already swelling eye. "You liked it and you know it."

Kagura didn't honor him with a response, she was so angry. She looked at Kagome. "You didn't do it to her, so why me?"

Again, Kagome cracked a smile. "I'm used to treatment like that. Two of my friends are just as perverted, if not more than, so you learn to recognize the signs." She ran a hand through her bangs.

"Do you two mind if we stop somewhere where I can get my hair cut?" she asked curiously. "It's been a few months since I had a trim." It was true. Her bangs were almost hanging in her eyes.

"Sure." Kagura said, sending a glare at Hiei as she started the car back up. "No more of that, Hiei. I'll break my fist on your face if you do it again." Basically she was saying she'd pound on him until it pained her and wouldn't care how much damage she did to him.

She pulled out onto the road and began driving towards the highway. "Why'd you laugh when Genkai called us worthless?" she asked Kagome, adjusting her mirrors so she could see behind her better.

"She didn't call you worthless." Kagome shook her head to emphasis her words. Genkai had only been gruff about it, but she didn't think that Kagura and Hiei wouldn't have realized that.

Hiei snarled, clenching a fist. "She did too. Every time we go she says we're worthless."

Kagome shook her head again. "You're seeing it wrong." She looked out the window of the car and saw wintry countryside going by and was silent for so long that the other two thought she wouldn't even continue talking.

"In the book Into the Mind of the Victim by Doctor Kali Onigumo, she states that and I quote, 'Love is subliminal; you cannot be told you are loved through the words 'I love you'. You know you are loved through the actions of another, though it can be showed in many odd forms, including through disagreement. Hate is across a thin borderline with love, and yet it is also subliminal. The words 'I hate you' can mean 'I love you' and vice versa because when put that way, they are actions. Therefore you know you are not loved if a person harms you physically or emotionally just for the sake of seeing you in pain.'"

"Genkai isn't calling you worthless." Kagome continued. "Her mannerism proved that. The way she tried to look annoyed, but her eyes and her body said she didn't want us to go. She tried to act like she doesn't care but she does."

"You read Doctor Onigumo too?" Kagura asked, surprised.

Kagome grinned, having forgotten that not many knew she was the famous Kali Onigumo's daughter, but she wasn't going to say outright 'oh yeah, I know her in fact I'm her daughter'. That seemed too much like bragging to her, so she didn't say it. "She's got very interesting work." She said instead.

"Aw, man!" Kagura laughed. "She's my idol! I've been taking classes in the University to be a psychiatrist like her. As soon as next summer, I want to go to Sunset and meet her. Hopefully I can get an internship with her. That would be real neat."

"Sounds like fun." Kagome said. "How old are you, Kagura? You don't look old enough to be out of high school."

Hiei answered for her. "She's twenty."

Kagome was confused. Twenty was barely out of high school, and in some places it wasn't out of high school at all. But still it was usually up to nine years of training to be a psychiatrist. Besides, Kagome had seen Kagura in school all day. Granted, she was working furiously on some homework most of the time except for lunch, but Kagome still had seen her.

Kagura switched lanes so she could take the exit off of the highway and continue towards Raspuit. "Wyman is a finishing school, and I'm just a smart type of person." She said, correctly guessing Kagome's thoughts.

"I graduated from high school when I was eleven because of my mom and her persistence, and then Kanna and I came to living with Hiei and Genkai, and Genkai told me I should be a doctor and sent me to Wyman."

Hiei laughed. "You yelled at Genkai and said all you wanted was to get married and have babies."

Kagome winced at the thought of just being married with the only use of having children. She wanted to work. Having children would be something she was sure she would have eventually, but she wanted to be able to just work and if whoever was her partner didn't agree with that, then he would be out the door instantly.

He wouldn't have to go through the pains of childbirth, so it really wasn't his choice, and she wouldn't let any man guilt trip her into it either.

Kagura continued, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel to a tune only she heard since the vehicle had no stereo at all, no radio, no CD Player, nothing. "Yeah, I argued. I went to school and did my work because Hiei always talked me into doing it, but when I got to Genkai's again I would argue with her and yell at her like a little brat."

"What are you talking about? You are a little brat!"

Kagura reached over and pinched his inner thigh and he yelped. "Shut up Shorty." She said. "I've no problem with tossing you right out into the road."

Kagome thought the two acted just like siblings should, blood related or not. She smiled. "And so eventually you found an article written by Doctor Onigumo?" Kagome inquired.

"Yeah. Genkai follows Doctor Onigumo's work as well, so I found the articles and since then I've admired the Doctor. What made it so you wanted to follow her work?"

Kagome shrugged. To not at least know of her mother's work would be a crime in her mind. If her mother was known even to the Americans, she knew it was something special that she would have to keep up with. She thought about it for a moment and wondered.

She never had to follow her mother's work. Her mother never forced her to follow it, and never so much as hinted when she would publish an article or book. The only thing Kali ever told her children about was when she published her fiftieth article; she was going to send them all in to be published as a collection book.

Kagome did the research on her own. It was strange, researching her mother, but it was fun at the same time. She supposed her mother was just one of those people who had a lot of people who looked up to them, and she was also among the numbers.

"I guess I've just always followed her work. I've never had a real reason to do it, I just did. When I wasn't working or hanging with my friends or doing school work or getting into fights with people from the public school, I'd buy the articles or books –which ever it was that I didn't have a the time- and I'd read them over and over. She's published forty-nine articles and five books, and I have them all. In fact, I think I brought them with me."

Thinking of those articles made her think of her mother, and it saddened her. She missed her mother and brother most out of anyone, and thinking about them would depress her so she forced her mind elsewhere and began to sing.

If anything worked, it was music. It always cleared her mind when she sang or played the violin. She preferred to play the violin though, because she was very self-conscious of her voice.

But sing she did, and as she did it, she stared out at the passing winter wonderland. At least the heat worked in the junker car, even if it had nothing else. She was nice and toasty in her coat, bunched up against Hiei's shoulder, their legs touching.

Silence was the only true thing in the vehicle at the moment as Kagome's two new friends listened to her voice sound out clearly. Kagome knew that anyone with an even slightly emotional past could connect with the song. It pained her to think that anyone should suffer as bad a childhood as she had herself.

Kagome stared at the sky unflinchingly as memories of her past flittered through her mind, reminding her of the infected and aching most recent welts on her back. She couldn't fathom how her mother never found a way to escape such pains, for herself and her children.

Her mother was the famous Sunset's Shrink who found a way for hundreds of her patients to escape their own pains and problems, from counseling marriages, to sibling rivalry, to juvenile delinquents... military personnel, murder convicts, rape victims, you name it she's done it.

But she could never save herself. She could never escape the pain, so she would lock it away. Her children had seen her escape inside herself several times rather than break down crying. She was a strong woman, but she could never deal with Naraku.

It was Naraku that was the cause of her mother's nightmares; the nightmares that Kagome knew Kali had. The nightmares were the reason Kali had begun to work all hours of the night, so that she would be so exhausted she wouldn't have to dream.

The debt collectors hadn't been the reason, as Kali had said they were. Work was Kali's way out of her nightmarish dreams and her nightmarish wake.

Kagome couldn't understand what her mother had ever seen in Naraku in the first place either. But some part inside Kagome remembered her father when she was very young, when Naraku would play with her in the park.

Kagome could never understand why her father would bring home women at night, but during the afternoon he would pick her up and dance with her, twirl her in circles, tickle her, push her on the swings until she was as high as she wanted to go and then tell her to jump off the swings and he would catch her.

When she was young, she had been so trusting of her father. It was before the beatings even started. And every time she vaulted off the swing, he had always been there to catch her so she wouldn't get hurt. He had always assured her that he wouldn't let her fall.

He would hold her up when she was down and help her to get back on her feet. He would always be her father, and the part of her that remembered those memories cried out, wanting to have that loving, caring, laughing father back.

In a shrine, every night was a silent night when the doors were shut for the evening. The outer walls were built of a thick stone, and the inner walls were wood filled with insulation and cork. Even the rain barely dared to sound inside the walls.

The library, filled with books, was the worst place to be in the shrine at night when it was raining because of the high domed brick glass ceiling that reflected the storm on the inside. The glass bricks when pounded with the rain storms sounded like some sort of death cadence played on drums.

It was the only room Kagome would not go to when it was raining at night. At least, not by her self, and not if she could avoid it.

But her mother could often be found in the library when it was dark and rainy. She said that the rain soothed her stresses when she heard it hit the panes of the domed roof like no silence could. She said it made her smile to listen to it and it stopped her from being terrified. By what? It was a question that had only caused more questions since she'd first heard it. Her mother wouldn't tell her what she was terrified of. Could it be the silence? Why then, if it was the silence that frightened her, did Kali refuse to give up the silent shrine? What purpose could it serve?

Kagome shook her head at all the questions and continued singing, never missing a beat in the song. She'd listened to it so many times she knew it by heart. She could hear the song playing in her mind; coming from the stereo that she'd bought with the money she earned working the shrine.

Kagome ended the song and the interior of the vehicle drifted into a near silence. The only sounds heard were honking of vehicles, the tires on the road, and the sound of Genkai's vehicle's muffler falling off.

In Raspuit, the sounds changed more. There were more cars than there had been. People were shouting here and there and everywhere. It was four thirty when they arrived in Raspuit, so Kagome was slightly worried.

She didn't know Kanna, but she did know that schools in Earth usually all got out by four. It was snowing again, and Kagome knew it wouldn't be very warm out with the wind howling through the buildings, gusting snow across the road.

Traffic was slowed even further because of the weather in Province Seven. She might have flown to Tokyoin Province Six, but Raspuit and the new city that housed Kagome's home was in Province Seven. She hoped that Kanna had somewhere safe and warm to wait and didn't have to wait outside the school.

"So where is this school?" She heard herself asking. She wondered if she ought to point out that the weather wasn't very good, and ask if Kanna had somewhere warm she could be, but she didn't. She wondered where in the car Kanna would sit if Hiei took up the middle seat, but she didn't voice her thoughts.

Kagura was silent and Hiei was staring off into space ignoring the meager conversation. Kagome shifted silently in her seat, staring back out the window. Slowly a girl swam in her vision, though it was ethereal.

The girl had looked like Kagome, only different somehow. Something about her was off. She blinked. The girl disappeared. Was she hallucinating? They weren't moving so fast that a girl would disappear from her view. In fact, they were stopped at a stoplight. All she looked at now was a brick building.

Shaking her head, she ignored the pain building in her veins, swimming through her blood. For the moment, it was of no effect. She didn't care because it was hardly anywhere near the pain she'd lived through before, both emotionally and physically.

When the school parking lot came into view, Kagura turned to pull into it and drove right up to the front of the lot where a little girl sat on a bench. She had hair and skin that was as white as the purest snow and wore a blue snowsuit with blue boots.

The hood on her snowsuit was down, her cheeks and nose rosy from the cold, her lips purple blue from it. Kagome guessed, quite accurately, that the little girl was Kanna.

Kagura elbowed Hiei. "Guess what?" She asked him as she turned the car off and unbuckled.

Hiei looked at her, dazed. "Hmm?"

"You're going into the trunk."

Hiei growled. "I am not."

Kagome laughed at the image of Hiei in the trunk. The trunk was small, so it wouldn't be the easiest fit. "Oh yes you are." Kagura said.

She reached to where she'd put her fan on the dashboard but Hiei was quicker. He snatched it up and grumbled. "Fine fine. I'll go in the trunk." He got out with Kagura and fixed his coat better, shivering in the brisk wind.

Kagura unlocked the trunk and opened it and Kagome watched through the passenger door mirror as he climbed in, his weight pulling the back end of the car down slightly. Soon as the trunk was shut, Kagura walked over to Kanna and knelt in front of the little white haired girl.

Kagome couldn't tell what they were saying, but it seemed to make the little girl very happy and giggle. It brought a smile to her face when Kanna bent down to pick up the younger girl, swinging her around in a circle just as Naraku used to do with Kagome. When Naraku was still sane, a part of her thought viciously. It was the part of her that hated him for what he'd become.

It was a few minutes before Kagura returned to the vehicle holding onto Kanna's hand, but soon they got moving and Kagura buckled up and waited for Kanna to do the same before driving off. "Hello, Kagome. My name is Kanna." Kanna said. Kagura obviously told her who was in the car and what her name was before hand.

"Kagura tells me that we're going to get hair cuts! Do you like hair cuts? What kind of hair cut do you like best? Do you like short hair or long hair better?" Kanna seemed bouncy and it made Kagome smile.

"I prefer long hair, but not so long I can sit on it," was all she got to say before Kanna cut her off again with more questions that seemed to be pulled from thin air.

"Do you like reading? Can you do a handstand? Do you know how to play Hopscotch? What's your favorite color? How come your eyes keep flashing different colors? What's your favorite number?" Her questions came out in an indecipherable tumble, and Kagome had to laugh, even though none of the questions registered in her mind at the moment.

"Please, Kanna, one question at a time. I can barely understand you!"

Kanna giggled. "Oops. I'm sorry! I was just excited! Do you know Monday is my favorite day of the week? Do you want to know why?" Kagome understood as far as the word 'excited' but after that was more indecipherable mess.

"Hush, Kanna." Kagura said. "Look, there's the parlor!"

They pulled into a parking space though they weren't as close as they could be. They had to walk still, but Kagome didn't mind and neither, it seemed, did Kagura or Kanna.

Kagura let Hiei out of the trunk and he crawled out, massaging his back. "Do you know how painful it is to have a tire jack jamming into your back for twenty minutes and a spare tire chafing your head? Not to mention a tool box smashing painfully into the back of your knees at every bump?" He rattled, but he didn't really seem all that angry.

Kanna giggled at him. "You're so silly!" She told him.

Hiei grinned and ruffled her hair like an elder brother might do as Kagura locked the trunk again. Together, Kagome and her two new friends followed Kanna as she skip-hopped to the parlor.

They slipped in after her and all heard the parlor lady greet Kanna readily. "Kanna, my child." She said with a smile. "You're back already? You were just in yesterday!"

Kanna chattered away with the parlor lady as though she'd not seen her for years. Kagome looked at the parlor lady for a moment before she felt something vile in her throat, like a snake trying to slither out of it.

She saw a sign on the wall saying "restroom" right next to an open door, so she headed for it. As soon as she had closed the door, she began coughing.

She used her hand to cover it and felt something moist hit her hand. It smelled metallic and in her mouth tasted of blood. As soon as she was done coughing, which it seemed to take forever for her coughing fit to stop, she pulled her hand away from her mouth and looked at it, horrified.

She could feel herself pale as she watched the blood run down her hand to drip into the sink. The mirror was spattered with blood that had escaped her hand.

But that was not what frightened her to the point of making her entire body shake with nerves. In the center of her palm was a large wad of ...something...

She didn't know what it was, just that it was there in her hand. It looked like tissue. Like something that should not have come out of her human body.

Her back hit the wall of the bathroom and she slid down it until she was sitting, staring with wide open eyes at the thing that stuck to her hand as though it were glued there by the blood itself. Drops of blood dripped to the floor from her hand as she stared and she tried to breathe but it felt impossible.

Breathing was far too hard now. She was too frightened of herself to breathe. She didn't want to look at the thing that had come from inside her, but it was there, on her right hand, and she found she was unable to look away. She didn't have either the will or the strength to do so.

Finally after what seemed like hours, a knock on the door tore her attention away from the...the thing, the clump of tissue on her hand. She stared at the door as though it were an alien object before finding her voice again, finding her breath, and the will to speak once more.

"Kagome?" A woman's voice called through the door. "Are you okay? You've been in there for ten minutes now." She sounded worried, and for a second Kagome couldn't even remember who the voice belonged to. Then it came to her. Kagura. It was Kagura who was talking through the door, knocking every time she got no answer.

Kagome cleared her throat and felt more blood gob up in her mouth. She hurried to the sink and spat it out, disgusted that she was having these strange problems when she knew she was perfectly healthy.

The doctors could not find anything wrong with her that would cause problems like seizures, not in the near future, or even the distant future. "I'm"—she tried again when she found her voice to be too weak—"I'm okay."

She turned the faucet on and tried to wash the gob off her hand to find she could not only wash it off, it really was stuck on like it was super glued. When she pulled on it, she felt like she was trying to rip off real skin. It was very tender.

"What the..." She washed it with soap and found that it was very much connected to her hand, as though it had always been there. As though it were some sort of defect.

Unsure what to do, she rinsed her face, washed the blood off the mirror, floor, and sink, and put her right hand in her coat pocket. She was frightened. Something was happening to her, and it was unnatural.

It felt like there was some second presence around her and that presence was a demon, or at least part demon. When she looked around, all she saw was the tiled walls of the bathroom, the toilet, the sink, and herself in the mirror. She looked paler than before, her eyes looked strange and sunken.

She looked like she'd spent weeks bedridden and unable to keep very much down, constantly vomiting and losing nourishment.

"I'm finally losing it... I must have hit my head one to many times with those seizures." She muttered, unlocking the door and opening it.

Upon seeing her, Kagura gasped. "Are you okay?"

Kagome nodded. "I'm fine."

"You look strange."

That's the understatement of the century, Kagome thought bitterly, but she showed nothing of what she was thinking. Kagome cracked a weak grin.

"You looked in the mirror lately? You don't look all that normal yourself, fang-face." Her tone was joking, even if it was weak and just a little raspy from all that hacking. But it wasn't like it was her choice. She couldn't just not cough.

Kagura slung an arm around Kagome's shoulders, smirking. "I like you." She stated, as though it were the most important thing she'd ever say.

Kagome laughed. "You better, else wise I might cry." She croaked then and took the debit card from her wallet in one of her large baggy pockets, careful to keep the large lump of tissue hidden (since if she didn't know what to make of it she doubted that Kagura or anyone else would either) and shrugged away from Kagura.

Her mother had given her the debit card, promising to put money in the account once a week, two hundred dollars at a time. She needed a haircut, and now was as good a time as ever to get one, considering they were in a beauty parlor.

Rin was still chatting happily with the old lady who brushed her hair, the white flower hair clip lying on the countertop nearby. Kagome noticed a second barber whom she had not seen before that very moment.

He was trying to act as though he weren't there at all, dazing off into space. He looked about nineteen but since Kagome had been so wrong about Kagura and Hiei, thinking Hiei was sixteen at first when he was actually nineteen, and Kagura was eighteen when she really was twenty, she decided not to just deem him a nineteen year old until she knew what his real age was.

She walked up to him, gauging his character by his looks and stance. She usually could gather whether or not a person was nice or not by noting how they held their presence. He didn't seem like a bad sort.

He just seemed out of it; as though he could think of a hundred places he could be and have a hundred times more fun than he was having at that very moment. His hair was raven wing colored and slicked back with gel, and his devil's food cake colored eyes were glazed over.

He wore the light grey-white shirt and pants that was obviously the protocol uniform of the little parlor. His chin had a determined quirk to it. Defiance radiated from his body. He leaned with his arms crossed behind his back against a wall, staring up at the ceiling as though if he looked long enough it would get up and do a jig.

"Hey." Kagome said. She had to repeat herself three times before getting any sort of reaction out of him. He blinked after the fourth time she said it, but otherwise he didn't move a muscle. He was well toned, from what she could tell, she noted.

He probably worked out. Well, whatever he did it made him muscled, and he was tall and lean which Kagome personally liked. Still, he hadn't responded to her except when he blinked, and she wanted a haircut. She looked at his tag and read it, then spoke again, this time using his name so he knew she was talking to him.

"Hey, Yusuke Urameshi, I'd like a haircut." She waved a hand in his face and saw his eyes followed in place with it.

He knew she was talking to her then. He was ignoring her, or trying to. She snapped her fingers after a moment of slowly moving her hand in front of his face and he jumped, not having been expecting that.

Kagome laughed. "I'd like a haircut, Urameshi. Any time now."

Yusuke scowled at her, hating that she destroyed his reverie. "There's the scissors." He said, pointing to the table nearby with scissors and a variety of other hair trimming and cleaning utensils. "There's the garbage. Clean up when you're finished." He sneered at her, but when she didn't start crying and flinch away like all the other girls who came in, he just turned his head and looked away.

"I don't get paid to do your job." She said mildly, unafraid of him or of his nature. She figured that she could probably get along very well with him. But only if he did what she asked –cut her hair.

"Neither do I." He muttered. "So that makes two of us. This is community service, for spray painting the walls 'round here."

Kagome chuckled humorously. "Sounds like fun. Next time you do it, invite me in on it and you won't get caught."

Yusuke looked at the female before him. He hadn't really looked at her before, but now he realized she wasn't exactly some preppy girl like he'd thought. She was sexy though.

Her lithe defined form, supple breasts, full lips, and strange mysteriously dark blue eyes all joined together, making him have to give her not just a once-over, but a twice-over. He'd never looked at a female twice before, so he wondered what the difference was about her.

His...friend... would not be pleased if he just up and went straight all of a sudden just because he had looked at a girl twice. He sighed and looked away from her, but his eyes wandered back.

There was something about her that attracted him like no man's body had. He couldn't say 'woman's' body because he'd never really found interest in them.

"Are you going to stand there gawping at me or are you going to cut my hair?" She asked him. "I'd like to do some of the homework before the night is over."

He nodded and waved to the seat. Kagome turned and sat in it, finding herself facing a group of four people talking. The people consisted of Hiei, Kagura, Kanna, and the elderly lady.

She ignored their conversation which seemed to be about Kagura's college and Kanna's schooling, and felt Yusuke gently pulling her braid undone and then running a brush through it, and after that, a comb.

"You take well care of your hair." Yusuke hummed in her ear. His lips brushed her earlobe, but that fact went unknown by anyone except the two.

His voice was very sensuous and it toyed with the hormones inside her, making them act like trapeze artists, flying all over the place with the nervous feeling of shock just before one trapeze artist caught another who'd been sent flying through the air to him. It was a frighteningly delightful feeling he sent tripping through her and she liked it.

It was that ability that Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha lacked. Sesshoumaru especially. His kisses might give her the exhilarated feeling of riding an avalanche down a mountain, but she knew that was all he had to credit himself for.

Inuyasha knew girls liked gifts, but he didn't know when to quit. Inuyasha's kisses were just as delightful as Sesshoumaru's though Kagome wasn't as attracted to Inuyasha as she was Sesshoumaru.

Inuyasha was no less of a man than his brother, but Kagome loved mysteries, and Sesshoumaru was an enigma that seemed like it had no end. Still, he lacked the ability to truly affect Kagome like a confident person was able.

Yusuke knew the feeling that he forced to rush through her. He smirked cockily and buried his nose in her hair, taking in her scent deeply. That was another thing he never had done before. He'd never truly reveled in the scent of a person, man or woman. "Passion flower, patchouli and vetiver?" He questioned.

Kagome relaxed in the chair, delighting in the sound of his voice even though he was just a stranger. "How did you know?"

"Sexy..." was his response to her question. His eyes wandered to the group. None of them were paying attention to the two of them. They were engrossed in the conversation of their own. "What do you want me to do with your hair?" He asked her in that same velvety soft voice.

His voice sent even more ripples through her navel, but she clenched them with her will. She wouldn't let herself go out of control. If anything, she prized herself for her ability to keep her desires hidden.

She'd had to do it during the three days she spent at the Nokugami's house, or they would have felt the heat coming from her. All those kisses...

"Take off an inch." She said as though she wasn't affected at all, though she knew it was the very opposite way around. She was so very affected. She liked Yusuke already, and she could predict future visits within the next three years as well. She couldn't bite back her wide grin.

She felt his tongue trail behind her ear and yet was unaware of his thoughts as he did that. What am I doing? He thought. Am I not with Eyndi?

But Eyndi had become rather quiet the past few weeks. The feeling between Yusuke and Eyndi was slowly disappearing, and Yusuke knew it. He didn't know the cause though. He wondered what the cause was.

Eyndi had even started sleeping on the couch rather than the bed with Yusuke. Yusuke bit back a sigh as he began to wet her hair down and cut it. His mother was none too fond of Eyndi staying at their apartment either, and there had been many arguments over the whole subject.

Eyndi was becoming more and more distant, and Yusuke would always wonder what he'd done wrong, when he could recall their last conversation as having been a rather pleasant one. It was completely all of a sudden that Eyndi silenced.

Kagome missed home even more at that moment. Her father used to sit her down and run a brush through her hair for hours while telling her stories of the one-hundred year war. Kagome had always been a daddy's girl even after Naraku had lost his sanity and started beating on them.

At first when he'd beat on them, he'd apologize and ask forgiveness. Then he'd take Kagome to the library and sit her on a cushion in front of his favorite chair – a black oak wooden chair with a thin green cushion on the seat – and he'd run a brush through her hair and tell her about the one-hundred year war in which his grandfather, her great-grandfather, had participated in.

He told her when she was little something very important during one of those special memories, but for the life of her, she couldn't recall what he'd said. It had to do with his blood and the blood of her many greats grandmother Madison – the very same blood that coursed through her mother.

But that was all she could remember. She wanted to remember. She didn't want to think of her father only as a bad man who did bad things and made bad choices. She wanted to remember him for the special loving father who easily made her giggle, and who played Tag with her and her brother in the library.

Granted, they had been very small, but those were the days she wanted so badly to recall.

It pained her to think that she couldn't bring them back. Some of them she knew were lost beyond recovery. As soon as Yusuke had finished with her hair, she looked at it.

She'd been so lost in thought; she hadn't realized how much he seemed to think an inch was. He'd chopped her hair almost completely off, it seemed. She stared at herself in the mirror, eyes wide with horror. The hair she'd been growing since she was a little girl was gone. Now her hair was barely past her shoulders.

She sighed. There was no reason to get upset over it, really, but she'd wanted to keep the hair style that her father had always said made her look beautiful. Even after he started beating them, that didn't stop him from telling her she would be a fine young woman when she grew up and she'd be the most beautiful creature on the planet.

She paid for the new 'do and Yusuke grinned at her. "Next time I want to commit a crime against civilization, I'll definitely look you up."

Kagome laughed, cheering up. It appeared he felt bad for his little 'prank' and wanted to make her feel better as he swept up all the hair. He handed her a baggy that had the largest longest clump of her hair, tied with rubber bands to keep it from tangling. A keep sake.

"Thanks." Kagome said and shoved it in her coat pocket. She walked over to the first people she'd met that morning and when they saw her, they blinked as though she was a stranger who didn't belong. But slowly they came to grips with who she was and who she became. She became a girl with short hair; no more, no less.

"You look...different." Kagura said. "Well, much less pale now. Maybe it was just the long hair."

Or maybe it was the coughing fit that made me hack up some sort of third lung, literally, and half the blood in my body. She thought as she smiled at them. "Maybe." She agreed, figuring it better to agree

than not agree. They left the parlor and Hiei was again forced to go into the trunk while they drove to Kanna's new home.

After dropping Kanna off, Hiei was allowed back into the front as they drove home again. To the new place where Kagome would live for the next three years. To the temple. They stopped at a Taco & Burger fast food place on the way home.

After that, it was systematic for Kagome. Nothing really interesting happened in the next five months. Kagome woke up in the morning, showered, dressed, put on her bells, did some warm up exercises so she wouldn't lose touch with martial arts, and worked on some last minute homework as the other two showered.

Then she went with Hiei and Kagura to find Genkai in the kitchen cooking oatmeal for breakfast to eat with milk or orange juice, whichever she preferred, and after that it was off to school to study hard.

Her daily routine mostly was just going to a classroom, getting the work, and being told to do it or fail, then being lectured for the remainder of the period on something that had nothing to do with what they were studying. She had to find out how to do whatever the homework was by herself.

Kagura helped her on her mathematics a lot, and Hiei helped her with science which where she used to be so good at, she was now almost failing. In return, Kagome helped the two with history which neither seemed to be very good at.

She would eat lunch with Kagura and Hiei, and sometimes Keiko would come heckle them about their not wearing school uniforms, and one of the three friends would ever so politely point out that she wasn't following school protocol because she wore bright red lipstick, or maybe it was a spot on her uniform, or her shoe laces were not perfectly bow tied. They would find something that was wrong with her, and she would huff about it and stalk away.

After lunch were more classes in which she would get more work on top of the already piling work and she would have to have it done in her free time by the next day or get extra work to do on top of the new assignment. She couldn't understand how Hiei and Kagura could stand it, and when she asked them about it, they both laughed.

"You can't keep up. You have to do it in your free time, but you see free time is a myth. It's what you get when you die and God rewards you with a peaceful life in heaven." Hiei said lazily, scratching down a scientific equation.

Kagura nodded, agreeing with him. "This school is much more demanding than any other one." She told Kagome. "It's because of that reason which makes the success rate of women who graduate from this school so high. You can't help but succeed. When I'm not doing something, I feel so useless. I always have to be doing something."

Kagome knew that was true. Her mother had gone to Wyman's counterpart, and supposedly everything was the same with their system. It wasn't hard to succeed when it was your only option.

Soon as the day would complete, depending on what day it was, Kagome would either go to Raspuit with Hiei and Kagura if it was a Monday or Thursday, or else if it was any other day of the week she would go straight to the temple to work on homework with Kagura and Hiei.

Despite what the popular opinion seemed to be, Kagura and Hiei were both vicious about studying. Kagome found herself more motivated to do better at Wyman with Hiei and Kagura than she'd ever felt when she was back at Sunset.

Kagura and Hiei both wanted success very badly, and that want quickly started to rub off on Kagome even more than she'd ever wanted to succeed before.

Kagome also found out very quickly that she did not get Saturdays and Sundays off. She had to earn a day off with her grades, and at first as her grades wavered from so much pressure, she never knew a day off.

Every day began to melt into the next, and soon she was so tired she hardly had the energy to talk, much less even to think about anything other than her school work.

The thing on her hand started to ache and the skin on her hands began to dry out quickly. She constantly had to use lotion on her hands, and it was difficult to hide the thing from Kagura and Hiei, but she managed.

Hiei and Kagura had never entered her room through all the time since Kagome had met them, and they still knew not of who her mother was, but Kagome was okay with that. She didn't want Kagura getting all excited because she was talking to the daughter of her idol. That would be just annoying.

She didn't have the energy to think about her family and friends either. Thinking about how she was unable to communicate with her family just wracked her nerves, but slowly she was able to develop immunity to the pain of thinking of her family and friends, as she always did.

Her friendship with Kagura and Hiei grew steadily closer and soon she was thinking of them not as friends but as brother and sister. She just never worried about it. She never saw Yusuke after that first meeting but she didn't grudge him for cutting her hair.

She kept it up in a ponytail and allowed it to grow out, the bangs included. Her hair always did grow rather quickly. Now it was being put to the test. In just those five months, her hair had grown out three inches and her bangs were already down to her chin. It wasn't long enough for a good braid though.

Still, she didn't mind. She, Kagura, Hiei, and Kanna all got a picture taken together in Raspuit; a professional one, and four copies were made. One for each of them.

Kagura paid for the picture itself, Hiei paid for the frames, and Kagome paid for each of the frames to be engraved with the words, The words were Latin, a language Kagome knew well. It meant "Family extends beyond blood. It is in the heart."

Kanna liked it and openly showed it. Kagura liked it, and she also showed it but much less openly than Kanna, but Hiei said outright, "It's stupid." When Kagura was going to yell at him for it, Kagome just laughed. She knew what he meant.

Hiei's twentieth birthday was to be celebrated. It was June eighth. Kagome, Kagura, and Genkai wanted to make it special, though Genkai just kept muttering how useless birthdays were and acting like she didn't care. Kagome knew otherwise.

It was carefully set up, though it would only be a party of the four of them. Kanna was camping with her family. Still, Genkai baked a cake and Kagura decorated the dining hall while Kagome forced (he wasn't really forced, he loved to help her with it) Hiei to help her with her science.

Another surprise the school brought Kagome was that there was no summer vacation. Without Kagura and Hiei to keep her sane, Kagome was sure that she would have killed the man who developed the school's system even though he was already dead.

She would have dragged him from whatever level of hell he resided in (because all those who created anything remotely educational would never make it into heaven, of that she was sure!) and killed him again. Several agains.

"Who do you like, Hiei? Do you love anyone? Are you madly infatuated with anyone?" A giggle bubbled out of her throat when he gave her a confused glance. He didn't understand American, the native language to Europe. In other words, as he was growing up with Genkai, because Kagome knew he'd been with Genkai since he was a baby, Genkai had not taught him to be multilingual like Kagome was by her mother.

She translated to another language. This time she spoke Italian. "Who do you like, Hiei? Do you love anyone? Are you madly infatuated with anyone?" It was the exact same sentence she'd asked before as she lay on his floor, shoulder to shoulder with him. Again, he gave her a confused glance, because he quite clearly did not understand it. She tried again, in German. "Who do you like, Hiei? Do you love anyone? Are you madly infatuated with anyone?"

He understood that time. Obviously he could understand German. "Is that your business? Because I do not see how it is." He said in German. Kagome was pleased he understood the language.

She knew a multitude of languages, but never found anyone to converse in another language with other than Japanese beside her brother who couldn't do it very well. Hiei seemed very fluent in German.

"You speak German?" She asked him, surprised that he could but happy nonetheless.

He rolled his eyes at her. "Obviously." He drawled, back to speaking Japanese. "Kagura taught me, though so I'm not exactly perfect at it."

Kagome eyed him and then went back to drawing doodles on her science homework sheet. She wrote with her left hand now. She wasn't very good at it, but it kept her right hand out of sight. She didn't want to think about the lump on her hand, but she could still feel it so it was still on her mind.

It had almost been six months since she'd come to the temple to live. That meant that only two and a half years remained until she could go home. She couldn't fathom staying away from Sunset! Not if she could help it.

"So are you?" Kagome asked him, speaking French now. She'd go rusty if she didn't practice her languages. She used to be able to talk to her mother in all the languages at least. But obviously she was unable to contact family. She recalled her father was the one who taught her French.

The language of love, he'd called it. He also taught her German. She turned to lie on her back and delighted in the fact that she felt no pain anymore when she did so. She'd gone so many years with pain when she lay on her back that she'd forgotten how pleasant it was not to feel it. The welts had long since healed and scarred.

"And that means?" Hiei asked.

"So are you?" She repeated, this time switching back to Japanese. She wouldn't get to speak French it seemed.

"Am I what?" He ran a hand through his pointed hair and again Kagome wondered how it stuck up like that but figured it was probably a demon thing. He was half fire apparition, so perhaps his hair was kind of like fire? Being a fire apparition meant that he could command and control fire to an extent.

"Do you like anyone? As in more-than friendly? They don't have to be friends with you already."

Hiei sighed. "What brings this about?" He leaned on his elbow, staring down at her, and Kagome noticed how close they really were. It almost made her blush, but she contained it.

He too noticed their close proximity. He noted how her hair seemed to halo her head, her long bangs framing those curiously dark blue eyes that looked almost like a starry night sky because they seemed to be flecked with speckles of silver.

Her lips lush yet painted a dark blue with her lipstick, were parted slightly. He could hear her clicking her tongue against her teeth and her hands were folded behind her head in a casual form.

He could see plenty of cleavage because she was wearing one of Kagura's tube tops, it being dark blue to match her lipstick and eye shadow, and of course she wore black pants that were meant to be baggy.

The tube top showed much of her stomach as well, her low riders pants showing even more. The belly ring she'd gotten when she turned eighteen, which was almost a year before, dangled with a new end that she had just bought. It was a silver bell that hung from a little ball to tickle her stomach and tinkled softly when she moved.

"Trying to occupy time and not do my science homework." She said casually, sounding sexy even though she did it unconsciously. She knew what she'd done the moment she saw his face. She knew what he would do before he did it. And she knew what he was going to say next.

He blushed. "How do you see me?" He asked her, as though he were changing the subject. His eyes searched hers silently for an answer that he knew by now he would not find unless she wanted him to know it.

And suddenly the answer was there, and she spoke, though it was not the words he wanted to hear. "I see you as I see my own brother in Sunset."

His eyes bore into hers, wishing he hadn't heard that. Wishing he'd never been taught German. "The best birthday present you could give me..." He said quietly, his voice low as though to ward off eavesdroppers. "Would be to take back those words... It does not have to be that way. Do we have to be like siblings?"

Kagome shook her head. "Yes; it is that way, and it has to be that way."

Hiei growled low in his throat and leaned down the few inches to kiss her. Though the kiss was slightly rough, Kagome knew he meant the feelings he felt towards her and wasn't just attracted to her. He'd become closer to her than she'd thought.

But he still didn't know everything about her. And she didn't know everything about him. Yet, Kagome felt only the feelings towards him that she felt for Souta. She would never kiss Souta. At least, not like Hiei was kissing her. And certainly not with tongues.

She felt him moving to pin her down, just like Kohaku always did. Instead, she reversed it and pinned him. "The feeling is not mutual." She told him firmly in Japanese. "Happy birthday."

She got off him as he sighed and moved back to her science books. He seemed much less eager to help her with her science after that.

It was a lot of work to get through, and since coming to live at the temple, singing and playing her violin had been great escapes for her, if she had the time and energy to do it that was. After her first semester at Wyman, she was allowed to take either music or a band class, and she chose band. She wanted to play her violin.

At first, her violin only reflected how she felt. She was out of practice at keeping her emotions out of her music, and she often felt lonely without her old family and friends. The lonesome feelings came from all the memories she had with her beloved many greats grandmother Madison's violin.

Then, she gradually grew in skill again and soon she was playing it just as grand as she had played it before she'd gotten kidnapped by the woman with gold skin.

She had to use more and more lotion on her hands, to keep them from cracking and bleeding painfully, and the lump pulsed as though it had a life and mind of its own, but she tried to ignore the alien thing that came from her body to connect with her hand.

She was in Kagura's room when the first, the last, and the worst of her seizures took place. It felt like it was tearing her apart. It felt like her skin was being ripped off her body, and it was painful. Having your fingernails ripped out, one by one, your toes smashed with a hammer one by one, and the rest of your bones shattered with that selfsame hammer, slowly as though in slow motion. It felt like carving knives ripping through her back.

Hiei and Kagura tried to stop her from harming herself with no luck. Kagome tore out of their grip and ended up smashing her head too hard against the floor. She'd cracked her skull and was bleeding everywhere.

Genkai came running when she heard the screams of Kagome, and the hollers of Hiei and Kagura for help. She had Hiei run to phone the hospital, while Kagura and she tried to stop the bleeding without moving Kagome. It was impossible since the cut was under her, and so they found themselves unable to do anything at all.

Kagome was transported to the hospital, and while Genkai was allowed to go with, Hiei and Kagura were forced to stay and wonder what was happening to Kagome, praying that she would live. It had been a pretty violent seizure. Kagura's room was a mess from all the thrashing Kagome had done.


	10. Tenth Chapter

Not only did Kagome wake to an unfamiliar room, but she woke to an unfamiliar sight. Her eyesight seemed more acute. Rather than seeing just the large black dots on the ceiling, she now also saw each and every divot in the paneling that was the ceiling.

She could smell coffee and donuts, bagels and muffins, orange juice and milk; all the scents reached her nose stronger than she'd ever smelled it. But along with those delicious smells, she also scented the toxic smells of blood, urine, waste, and medication.

The walls around her were white and near the ceiling there were gold leaves painted as a border. Where am I? She wondered, looking around. She could hear the clocks ticking as though it were a loud snare drum right next to her ear, and the footsteps of the passing people out beyond the white metal double hinged door sounded like a cannon ball being shot from cannon.

The thought repeated itself more and more as time passed.

Then someone with their hair in a tight bun appeared in her face. Their mouths were in a set line of worry, their blazing flame colored eyes furious. "Why didn't you tell me you were a demon?" Kagura scowled.

She'd been in the dark. Of course, not only that, but apparently Kagome was also a priestess, which was the cause of the violent seizure. The doctor had explained that mixing priestess blood as powerful as the priestess blood Kagome had with the blood of a powerful demon or half-breed had its consequences, and Kagome was suffering those consequences.

But even though Kagura had whispered the words, it didn't matter. It felt like she was screaming the words into Kagome's ears and she felt tears press out of her eyes as she tried to block out all the loud sounds. The sounds of even Kagura and Hiei's wristwatches pained her ears.

She tried to move her hands to cover her ears but found them to be restricted by leather bindings. She couldn't understand why she was tied down, and she felt like a young child again.

Hiei's face then appeared beside Kagura's, and he talked much quieter. Yet, still it sounded like he was screaming. "Your father is on his way. He called."

That confused Kagome. Her father was in jail. He wasn't supposed to be 'on his way'. Kagome wasn't supposed to have contact with family either. Did the courts approve of his coming, or did he break out of jail? She couldn't figure it out, and her head was pounding.

"It's so loud..." Kagome whispered, tears of pain shooting out of her eyes and down the sides of her face towards her temples. There were more footsteps sounds and then Kagome felt something cool rush over her, putting her to sleep. It was bliss. She slept and the pain left her body.

She saw her father in her dreams. He was back to the same man she knew once when she was a child. He was the kind father who took the family out to ice cream and movies, not the horrible man who stole away to the bar to get drunk, then came home with a whore, beat his wife and children, and retreated with the whore to his room.

Behind him was the honest moon that kept only one secret: its dark side.

Kagome ran to her father, only to find him further and further away with every step she took. She wanted the comfort he used to offer her when she was mad at Souta, or at her mother. He smiled at her and opened his arms to her, but still with every step she took, he got further away.

She broke out into a blind run, racing as fast as her legs would carry her, but she still got no closer.

"Kagome." She heard her mother's voice behind her. "Kagome, come to me. It is much easier to be a priestess like me."

Kagome looked back. Her mother was only a few feet away. Kagome hadn't seen her mother in so long, and yet she was torn. She wanted her father back the way he was. Maybe if she could catch him, she could bring with him his sanity?

Her mother spoke again. "Your father is a shape shifter. He is a demon. Being a demon is not easy. Take the easy way, Kagome."

That was not like her mother. Her mother had traveled the hard roads all her life, and if there was a hard way to do something she always did it. She believed she got more from a hard life than the easy life. Kagome shrunk away from her mother.

"Go away!" She cried, to find her voice was that of a child and not the alto-soprano voice that was her as a woman. She looked down at her body and found she was a child again. She was herself as a five year old.

She clenched one tiny fist in this dreamscape. She wouldn't let her dream trick her. She was going to catch her father, five year old body or not. If it was her dream, she could do whatever she wanted. And she wanted to catch him.

To do so, though, she was going to have to go faster than she could run. Her father was a shape shifter. She was his descendant. She could do whatever he could do! She knew she could.

She just had to try it. She concentrated on her back and tried to sprout wings.

Kagura watched the man before her. He held Kagome's hand with a glazed over look to his eyes and he spoke nothing. The hand that he held was the one with the lump in it. Kagura had been rather repulsed to see the pulsing lump, but the man acted as though it were natural. He acted as though it weren't even there.

Kagome started screaming. Her eyes shot open, but they were glazed just as the man's were. Her eyes were completely silver, no longer had blue speckled with silver. The speckles had taken over everything, the whites, the irises, and the pupils.

Her back arched up and the skin on her body started to crack like a vase that had been dropped on the floor. It was disgusting to say the least.

The skin just fell away, to reveal perfectly tanned skin underneath that looked exactly like the skin that had fallen away. Her hands cracked and the lump on her right hand cracked. The only part of her body that bled was that lump.

Kagome could recall her father once telling her about how to shape shift. She'd been fascinated, asking thousands of questions, all of which he answered patiently. She did exactly what he said he did when he shape shifted. But he never said it hurt so much! She screamed and fell to her knees on the black floor of the dreamscape. "Papa!" She cried out, wanting relief from the pain. He got further away when she called for him. Her mother got closer.

"Go away mama! I want my papa!" She got up and tore after her father as the dragonfly-like wings lay limp on her back. She remembered about them as her mother got ever closer. She flapped them and as she lifted up, she felt like a fairy in the child books that her father read to her as she would fall asleep.

She flapped and flapped, but she only got higher. She began to get tired, and found she was very high above ground. She panicked. And then she fell. She knew she would never forgive herself for the failure, even if it was a dream. She tried again to flap her wings but she was uncoordinated.

She shut her eyes tight and accepted her fate. At least she wouldn't have to be a priestess. She never wanted to be one anyway. Her grandmother had died because of it. It just wasn't the fate she was looking for. She wanted to be just like her father, and at least now she had her small chance.

Strong arms caught her, just like when she would jump from the swings. She cracked open one eye and peered through it, finding her father smiling at her. She was in his arms.

Tears pressed out of her eyes and she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, cuddling into his arms like a child wanting to feel safe. "It will not be easy, Kagome." Her father said quietly in her ear. It was not a mocking tone. It was not a vengeful tone. It was just her father in that shell.

Her mother snarled, and it frightened Kagome. She'd never seen her mother looking so angry. "Mama is scaring me," she sobbed into her father's chest.

"Demon, be banished!" her mother cried out. Blue light shot from her mother's body and straight towards the two. Kagome shrunk further into her father's arms, her wings pinching painfully against her back, but she wouldn't release her father.

She loved her mother, but that woman was not her mother. It was someone else; something else. It was not her mother. The blue light never reached her. It hit a black and silver barrier that did not come from her father. The barrier came from her. She didn't know how she knew it but she did.

"It is alright, Kagome. You've chosen. There will be no more pain." Her father assured her. He pulled Kagome away from him slightly and placed his palm on the center of her chest, right above her heart.

"I'll always be with you. I give you my power." He whispered, and Kagome felt something enter her heart. Then everything was gone. There was no mother. There was no father. There was not even her childish body. All that remained was her and the moon.

She flapped the wings on the body she did have now. She was back to being the eighteen year old, almost nineteen year old, who was tough and needed no protection from anyone. But she still missed her father.

"Papa..." She sobbed and fell to her knees in the dreamscape. Slowly everything went black, and she felt real sleep take her over.

Kagome was in the hospital for three weeks after that. She slept the whole time. She felt no pain. Her father, Naraku Onigumo, sat by her side every day, leaving it only to eat or use the rest room. He slept in the chair by her bed.

He worried that Kagome would not wake. He knew the only reason he was out of jail now was because Kali had bailed him out. They had gotten divorced, and finally he knew Kali would be able to live out her life. He was happy for her. But he knew he would regret being unable to repay her for all she'd ever done for him.

He'd gotten the court's approval to be able to go see his child after he'd explained what conflict she would be going through. It had taken three days of convincing, but finally he was allowed to come. Now he was glad he had.

He'd seen what his daughter missed. She would never have told him that she loved the way he used to be, before the beatings. He would never have believed it without seeing it with his own eyes.

She really had turned out well. He smiled and looked at her bandaged hand. The lump had, as expected, absorbed into her body once more. The doctors came to check on her condition constantly.

She wasn't improving yet, but she wasn't getting worse either. It was up to her now to heal. Before, it had always been her priestess powers moving on their own to do the healing for her. Now she had to tell her body to heal.

She knew all about herself as a demon. He knew she knew. Because he told her himself when she was a little child. "She'll be alright." The nurse told him on one of her frequent trips to check Kagome's condition. "Why don't you go home?"

"There is no home to go to." He whispered his eyes on Kagome's placid face. He couldn't go back to the shrine, because that was part of the agreement on bail. He would not return to the shrine. Besides that, he had no money.

Kali had flown him to Snowsville so he could help Kagome survive the battle between her demon side and her priestess side, but from there he had nothing.

The nurse misunderstood him, but she left anyway. Naraku looked at his little half-breed daughter. To him, she would always be a little girl. He wondered if she would ever forgive him for the pain she'd caused him. Souta had. Kali had. But it mattered most that his little girl forgave him.

The disease he could feel worming its way through him constantly eating him inside out. He knew how long he had left, and it wasn't long. He doubted he would get to see Kagome graduate from school. That was how long he had left.

He threw himself back to the present when he saw Kagome trying to sit up. "Here, let me help you." He said and moved to help her sit up. She gave him a wary look, but allowed his help anyway. As he fluffed her pillows and helped her relax against them, she noticed he looked nervous.

"Papa?" She asked, not really believing he was there in front of her. He didn't look like the thing that beat her for all those years anymore. He looked like the man who braided her hair, and wiped her nose when she had a cold, and read books to her when she was trying to fall asleep.

"Yes, Kagome." He smiled, relieved. "I'm sorry; I was never a good enough father for you or Souta."

Kagome growled at his words. She knew why it angered her to hear those words. Did he not know that 'once upon a time' he was a good father, until he lost his sanity? Obviously he didn't know it.

"Really, papa, you were a good father. You made mistakes." She sighed. Making excuses for bad behavior wasn't something she normally did, but she knew he had the ability to better himself; and he was her father. Who wouldn't want their father to better themselves?

"No. I'm dying, Kagome. You and Souta will graduate soon; but I will most likely be six feet under before then." Kagome gasped. She knew he was ill but she hadn't realized how long he'd had the illness.

He nodded. "My own father passed on three months ago. He left me his inheritance. It's not much, considering I can't claim it anyway. It's something that can only be claimed on your twenty first birthday. I'm going to leave it to you. You can do with it what you want."

Again Kagome gasped. Her grandfather had been a billionaire. Not to mention he had all those sellable items that were worth millions on their own. He'd been robbed multiple times. But he also had the best dog-hounds bred and he had several homes throughout the world. Throughout the world he had to have still at least five mansions, including one near Sunset. "You can't do that! Give it to mama!"

Naraku shook his head. "It has to be claimed on your twenty first birthday. I'll be dead before then, so you make sure to claim it. Pay off my debt, repay your mother for me, and that's hardly any of the money. It's not much, but it's the least I can do."

"You can't do this!" Kagome cried. "You have to find a way to live!"

"You ever hear of incurable diseases, Kagome?" He waved to the wheelchair beside his seat. "I'm already a paraplegic. Life suddenly lost its meaning. I just want to be sure you are happy."

"And what of Souta?" She demanded. "Don't you care about him?"

Naraku laughed, but it was without humor. "Yes, I care about him. But the catch to the inheritance is that only a half-breed can claim it. He's not a half-breed like you and I. He is human through and through."

Kagome smiled at her father and reached out, placing a hand on his. "I'll be sure him and mama are taken care of." She whispered, seeing in his eyes something she never would have imagined to be there. He just wanted the best for his family. "So how are you out of jail?"

He winced as though slapped with something hard. "Your mother is an angel from heaven. I only wish I had never destroyed her life."

"You didn't. Believe me. Nothing you did could have destroyed her life. It just worked to make each of us stronger."

A ray of hope shone in his crimson eyes and it made Kagome smile.

Kagome visited with her father for a long time and he told her all she had missed in Sunset. He told her about how her mother was trying to get back into the dating swing of things, but that's only because Souta kept pushing her, setting her on dates with people. He also told her about how Kali seemed to find interest in Sango and Kohaku's father.

"You're not serious are you?" Kagome laughed. It was a pleasure to be able to find out about her family after so long being without knowing. It was almost her nineteenth birthday. She'd almost been gone for eight months. "What else is happening?"

"Well, Nekura Nokugami overdosed herself on drugs and booze. She died. Haru Nokugami had another stroke. Talk around the town is that one more stroke is going to leave him a vegetable, and his sons will have to take over the company."

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "The elder son seems a lot different now. I don't know why, but just seems a lot less stiff around girls."

"How can you tell? You never knew him before." Kagome pointed out gently.

Naraku shrugged. "I had to get a job. Before she died, Nekura hired me to keep an eye on the two boys. Apparently one of them had a girlfriend who really made a fool of Nekura." He laughed, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he looked at her.

So he knows... Kagome thought, smiling ever brighter.

"The boys meet up with this fellow from public school every day and since then they've started to act much less...stiff." He couldn't think of any other way to explain it.

"More confident?" Kagome asked. He nodded.

* * *

Soon Kagome was released from the hospital and able to go back to the temple. Kagome was sad that her father would be heading to Tokyoagain, this time to stay there, but she had hopes now. Her father promised not to give up looking for a cure, even an experimental one.

But then it was back to school, and Kagome had missed almost a month of school. Missing a month of school was no easy task to catch up with. She had so much to catch up on, she was unable to go with her friends to Raspuit, but she did like the new her.

She looked exactly the same as the old her, except her eyes. Her eyes were different. They were the same midnight blue color, only with little speckles of silver in it, making her feel like she was looking at the endless night sky when she watched her own eyes too long.

She was rusty in her practice with her violin, but she quickly got the hang of it again. It was much easier now that the lump was gone from her hand. Practicing with the lump had been hard. Now though, she felt more fluid in her playing.

She felt happier knowing all the knowledge of her father. After that dream, she knew what he knew. It was a strange concept, but it was true. Her father would always be with her. She would always have his power.

Knowing what her father knew made school a lot easier. Her grades skyrocketed. She understood math and science. She surpassed all the expectations she'd placed for herself. Time no longer crawled, it zoomed by.

Her nineteenth birthday came and went and Kagome was bumped into College. She didn't know what she wanted to take, so she just went to be a private investigator. Kagura kept taking classes instead of graduating like she could and Hiei graduated and began a small alchemy shop.

Kagome rarely stopped studying. Kagura stopped studying even less than Kagome did. The only rest they gave themselves was to go see Kanna. Otherwise they kept harsh study habits, both wanting to grasp as much knowledge as they could.

At school, Kagome and Kagura would flirt with boys, but at home they were so serious that Genkai often had to remind them to eat or they would forget.

Finally though, there were only three months left before she could go home, and Kagome found herself wondering aloud to Hiei and Kagura about whether or not she wanted to go home. She sat in her room, while for the first time Hiei and Kagura were also in her room.

The two had never been in there, not for the whole time she'd lived there, and now were exploring the mediocre room that was identical pretty much to both of theirs.

"I don't know." She admitted when Kagura asked why she wouldn't want to go home. She ran a hand through her hair, which was now once more as long as her thighs. She needed another haircut. But, hopefully not as short as the last time.

"It's just that... I like it here. I like to be able to just sit here and talk to you guys at night. I like going to see Kanna on Mondays and Thursdays. And well... I had been hoping to open up a private investigation office right here in Snowsville."

"Why?" Hiei asked. "There is nothing here. Snowsville is as dull now as it was when I first came here when I was a tyke, if not duller. Nothing ever changes." He picked up the picture of Kagome and Kohaku. "Is he the reason you won't ever be with me?" He showed her the picture, his eyes questioning.

Kagome shrugged. "He was part of it, but seriously, Hiei, I only see you as I see my brother."

"Oh my god!" Kagura yelped, bouncing on her feet and pointing to the picture next to Kagome's bed. She rushed over to it and picked it up. "If this is who I think it is..." Her eyes were beady and feverish with her excitement as she looked at the picture.

Kagome laughed. "Yes. My mom is your idol, Kali Onigumo."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Kagome shrugged. "People think I'm special, just because of who my mom is, so I didn't bother."

Kagura fell onto Kagome's bed, a giggle bubbling from her throat. "Amazing!" She exclaimed. "I can't believe I never realized it this whole time! You always would talk about her like you knew her personally, and I just never realized it..."

Kagome crawled over to the bed and rested her elbows on it, looking down at Kagura, who lay on it. "And here I thought you were smarter." She said. "I guess I was misled." She grinned.

Kagura grabbed her by her braid and growled, pulling on it. "Now, is that nice Higurashi?" She asked.

Kagome yelped. "Hey, hey, be gentle..." She dipped her head, trying to pry Kagura's fingers away, but her lips collided with something and she heard the snap of a Polaroid camera. Kagome and Kagura stared at each other wide eyed. They were kissing.

It was purely accidental of course, but they were still kissing, and Hiei had Kagome's camera and was snapping shots of it all over the place. The kiss lasted a whole ten seconds before the two shot apart.

Both began to cough and hack, wiping their mouths as though they touched something dirty. Hiei was cackling with mirth as he ran from the room. It was a moment before Kagome or Kagura realized what he'd done. Both clenched their fists. "Hiei?" Kagome called, her voice sickeningly sweet.

Kagura grabbed her fan from where it had dropped on the floor when she saw the picture and stood. Kagome stood. Both were not going to let Hiei hide those pictures. He'd be able to blackmail them with those later on, so it was best to get rid of them now. Burn them before they reached the public. "I can't believe that jerk." Kagome scowled.

"No kidding. Its bad enough it happened. I'm going to be haunted for the rest of my life." Kagura agreed. Together they entered Hiei's room and saw him sitting the bed reading a naughty magazine. "Where are they?" Both knew more than one picture had been taken.

"Where are what?" Hiei asked innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about?"

Kagura shook with anger, but Kagome placed a calming hand on the other girls' shoulder. When she spoke, she was seductive, and she knew it. It was an act she knew how to play even better now than before because of all the practice she did at school.

Since learning all her father's knowledge, she'd practiced at it all, including the shape shifting. She didn't want to be left in the dirt on the knowledge that was available to her.

"Hiei..." She whispered as she stalked over to the bed, straddling his waist. "What do you want in return for those pictures?"

She didn't flinch when she felt his pants begin to bulge. Kagura smirked, having seen this at school while with Hiei graduated he never knew what he was in for. Kagome reached to the collar of his work shirt and began unbuttoning it, sending a discrete glance towards Kagura. Kagura understood in a heartbeat.

It didn't take long to get the pictures, and Hiei felt cheated. More cheated than he'd ever felt in his life. He hid one in his mattress, though. So he had a backup plan. They had four of the five pictures.

* * *

Sesshoumaru listened to the music and let it smooth his discontent. It was hard to live with his father harping at him all the time, cursing him for "getting his wife pregnant and making her kill herself". Well, it wasn't Sesshoumaru who did the work that was for sure.

The evening that Nekura came to his room, he locked it and snuck out of the house. Nekura had died quite some time ago, so why was Haru bringing it up again? Nekura was cheating on him for years, molesting children... the very thought haunted Sesshoumaru. He loathed her for it.

He would never get over it. That was not a question, it was the truth. Whoever had gotten his stepmother pregnant before she killed herself, well; her death was on their conscience, not his. He'd been investigated, of course, but he had several eyewitnesses who said he'd been at the Rave, which was a delightful little bar where delightful drunk women fell for his delightful little charming tricks.

Of course, he never did anything with the women. He was just practicing on them. Sangofully they wouldn't be too mad at him if they ever found out he was just using them. Of course, he knew now that his plan was useless. He would never charm Kagome. She was out of his reach. Beyond his grasp. He'd seen her recently and he knew he still loved her. She was as sleek and sexy as ever, but she was also taken! That had been hard to stomach.

"Yo, supper's done." Inuyasha entered the room and stopped when he saw Sesshoumaru lying on his bed with his arms folded behind his head and his eyes closed.

After Nekura's death, Haru had brought back the servants, so now it wasn't Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru cooking food. It wasn't that either of them minded, really. It just wasn't what either of them wanted to do.

"You can't pretend you're asleep, Sess." Inuyasha told him. "I'm not an idiot."

"You are too an idiot; a well taught idiot, but an idiot nonetheless." Sesshoumaru objected. Now twenty two years old, it was the year Thirty o'Seven and Sesshoumaru was in his second year of college. Exciting though it was not, he was going to be a doctor. He figured, since his father was not dead yet, he could do whatever he wanted.

His father refused to die. It was amusing, watching his father trying to lead his business out of the inevitable ruin from a hospital bed. Well, amusing, but in a rather twisted way. Sesshoumaru thought it was about time their father dropped off the face of the earth so he wouldn't have to visit him pointlessly every day when he made his rounds to give out specifically directed medicine, while watched by the head doctor of the floor.

Inuyasha was going to go to college as soon as he graduated high school, which was this year. That, too, was a humorous idea. Sesshoumaru could somehow not picture Inuyasha in the role of their father; of course he knew better. Inuyasha would probably not make it to the top.

So, it was that Sesshoumaru just stood from his divan in his bedroom and sauntered over to where his year younger brother stood. Yuri, Sesshoumaru's twin sister, and he had never really gotten close since for ten years she was in captivity of an insane woman who had yet to be found, and after that had never forgiven Sesshoumaru for letting her be taken. He'd been nine years old! How could he have known she was going to be kidnapped by a crazy woman?

"I resent that." Inuyasha hummed as he turned heel and stalked back out of the bedroom. "And besides, supper is done."

Sesshoumaru chuckled. Truly a one track mind! He thought comically and followed Inuyasha to the kitchen where two servants, Shining -which was pronounced Shinneen- and Tyronica –which no one could pronounce properly so everyone who met her shortened it to "Ty" instead, were laying supper for two on the table.

Apparently, Shining and Ty had been too busy decorating for Christmas and buying and wrapping presents for ungrateful family members back home (wherever that was) that they'd not wanted to cook supper. Sesshoumaru could smell the take-out food scents wafting towards them as they watched the two women work their magic.

Shining and Ty were honest at least, so Haru gave the two leave to a checking account that they could withdraw money from to buy what they needed. He paid them well, since he had plenty of money.

"You can have a seat any day now!" Shining said nervously, worried that she'd done something wrong. So Sesshoumaru made her nervous...so what? So she liked him, hell, she loved him! She was always very self-conscious when it came to him, but he seemed so reserved, and rarely smiled and...Her thoughts were running away without her. She had to calm down.

He was a demon, a gorgeous one, and she was a human. She doubted any self righteous demon would marry a human. Of course, this was the year Thirty o'Seven! It wasn't Twenty-Six Twelve, a time when demons killed humans for fun.

Ty giggled and whispered in Shining's ear something about liking someone; Sesshoumaru let his mind wander again as he sat down. He had to eat, and then get ready for work. Work was a place where he could relax. At night, things were slightly less bustling than during the day, but then again that was always subject to change. After all, he worked at a hospital as a student learner.

He didn't eat very much of his meal before heading to his room and grabbing his things so he could shower. Inuyasha worked afternoons and went to school in the day, Sesshoumaru worked nights and went to college in the day.

That was the way it was in that these days, and it worked rather well because they didn't have to worry about conflicting with each other's schedules too much unless either one worked overtime.

Soon as he had showered, he dressed in his work suit and threw on his coat. It had recently snowed (yet again; seriously, he wanted to know when it would stop! He had to walk to work everyday since parking anywhere near the hospital was nearly impossible) and that meant that Christmas seriously was thinking about paying the world a visit. Today he was leaving early since it had snowed.

Sesshoumaru walked through the small park on his way to work. It chopped two blocks of walking off his time, plus it was right in between where he worked and lived. He sighed when he got there, thoughts plaguing his mind, and then headed for the break room. And then he heard it. Her voice. The voice he had never managed to forget.

"Stop! I said get your hands off!" The voice sounded peeved. "I won't hesitate to kick your—"

She was cut off by another voice; one many years her senior and he knew who it belonged to as well. "Eh, please. In your state, you could do nothing of the sort. Now would you please just stop moving around and let me check the bandages?!"

"You ain't doin' nothin' you old bat!" Sesshoumaru heard her say as he walked towards the source. He heard the sound of flesh hitting flesh, hard, and heard a yelp. "I know that was no accident! I've got four boyfriends who are all habit lechers, so don't bother to stumble excu—what are you doing? I just told you not to touch me!"

Sesshoumaru stepped into the room just in time to see his supervisor 'slip' and his hand 'fall' onto Kagome's breast. She reflexively slapped him. "Mr. Pilaf, I think you should not do that." Sesshoumaru said in his quiet tone.

Even his superiors thought twice about disobeying him, but not because he was just rich. It was because of who his father was, and who that made him. Sesshoumaru was a prince, and no one wanted to irritate a prince.

Sometimes, that was the only way to deal with people, was to instate your command above them. So no matter how many years senior they were to Sesshoumaru, he would always be above them. Hell, he would live longer than most of these block-heads.

"Ah Sesshoumaru my boy! You're a little early today; I don't have your rounds list ready yet."

Sesshoumaru's attention was not on the old man. His eyes had connected with Kagome's and they were locked there. Silent words passed between them, but it was in some indecipherable code that he could not understand. He heard himself saying, "Well, make it then. I'll see to Higurashi."

The old man scrambled off, unsurprisingly, and Sesshoumaru walked casually to the bed, picking up the chart to look it over. Unfortunately, he couldn't remove his eyes from her, so reading the chart was quite difficult, considering he wasn't looking at the thing in his hands.

He felt his icy confidence shell, the one Medallion had forced him to learn, find its place once more and smirked at her, looking down at the chart finally.

"It says you were stabbed, shot, and...start on fire? What enemies have you made this time?" He was appalled, to put it lightly. He set the chart back in the cubby by the bed, shaking his head leisurely.

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest but winced as wounds pained her. "Oh that. It's nothing I can't live with."

Now it was his turn to roll his eyes. "Yeah, sure." Upon reading the chart, he found the wounds were on her chest mostly. That sucked. Well, no it didn't. For her maybe, but he wasn't so sure how bad that was, if you get my drift.

Oh man, now even Medallion's attitude had reached his thoughts? What next, a party that consisted of screwing ten girls at once?

"It says you're due for a change in bandages," he told her monotonously, surprised that he did not still get the feeling he used to around her. He used to feel like if he didn't control himself, he'd begin to shake with nerves and his voice would get squeaky.

Now, he just felt a cool rush over him, like everything was perfectly normal in his world. It was different; and come to think of it, the other day he really hadn't felt like he loved her either. Was it all a high school infatuation?

He still had the 'picture album' they had made together with the help of Inuyasha and all for the purpose of making their parents upset. Strange.

"Tell me something I don't know." Kagome drawled. She ran a hand through her disheveled hair, trying to make some order of it, but it wouldn't be ordered around.

Sesshoumaru walked over to the curtain around her bed and closed it, not really in a hurry. He'd gotten to work very early, so he had plenty of time to work. "Peculiar that it claims you were shot in the heart. How are you alive?" He kept all emotion from his face easily, because he felt no emotion at all around her. Again, he couldn't help but wonder what happened in the past few years to make him that way.

She laughed. "I have no heart." She told him, sounding sincere but he knew that it was impossible to be heartless. It was a necessary organ needed to live; not even demons could not survive without it.

He quirked an eyebrow at her as he made his way over to the bed. "Intriguing. Now, shall we stop the idle chit chat?" He knew he had initiated the conversation in the first place, but he refused to admit it. So what? He refused to admit a lot of things; it wasn't like this was the first time ever.

"Stiff as ever, I see." Kagome grumbled. "And here I thought Medallion would do his job."

Ah yes, Medallion had told him about that. How Kagome had asked Medallion to teach Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha to be more lucid in the way they dealt with girls. How Kagome had paid him to do it. "He did his job. There are some people in this world that I do not wish to speak to unless on professional terms."

He reached out and opened her hospital robe slightly, peering at her chest cavity above where her heart would be. He didn't let his hands wander, or his eyes either as he knew she would be watching him warily ready to smack him the moment he was unprofessional.

He refused to give her that satisfaction.

Assured that the bandages did indeed need to be changed, he released her and the robe fell back into place. The blood had soaked through the bandages. He politely excused himself from her presence and made his way to the break room.

Hanging up his coat, he then went to the wash up room and washed his hands, tying his hair back with the usual piece of leather thong, and putting on latex gloves before making his way back to Kagome's little encampment.

She was not alone when he got there. She was speaking quietly with three others in what seemed to be a heated conversation, yet they never raised their voices. They immediately hushed when Sesshoumaru came through the curtain.

"You're not to be in here." Sesshoumaru told them quietly. He kept his own voice down because usually when he was in the hospital he knew almost everyone would be sleeping (of the patients anyway) and he preferred not to disturb them unless absolutely necessary.

"Yes, well; shame I don't care." The woman said leisurely, waving her fan to cool herself even though the room was already quite chilly. She looked as though she had run a marathon, and so did the other two.

The two men, who stood behind the woman in the chair, rolled their eyes at the woman's tone of voice, yet said nothing and an eerie silence stretched in the room as Sesshoumaru moved to Kagome's side.

Once the top was off on the robe, lying behind Kagome, Sesshoumaru saw further the extent of how much blood she'd lost. No human could replace so much blood to live.

He frowned; he hadn't noticed if she smelled demon before, and now there were two other demons in the little space, not to mention several others throughout the room whose scents could intermingle with Kagome's and make it impossible to tell if she was human or not. She used to be human, he was sure of that much anyway.

The only sounds heard were spontaneous coughs from patients around the room, or the unwrapping of bandages as Sesshoumaru took the old ones off and discarded them safely, washing the wound gently, rubbing Sunset Hospital's famous healing salve on her chest and then rewrapping the bandages.

He kept his movements crisp and meticulous; there was nothing romantic at all about bandaging someone's wounds, though he did wonder how she got them in the first place.

As he took off the bloodied latex gloves from his hands, turning them inside out before discarding them in the safe waste bin, he reached for the chart and took his pen from the left breast pocket of his lab coat; writing down the date and exact time Kagome's bandages had been changed.

He switched to the commentary box and wrote "compliant" and then signed his signature in the small box beside the commentary. He took note of the time Kagome got checked into the hospital. She'd been there since about ten minutes after he had left work the previous night.

"You want to know, don't you?" Kagome provoked him with a challenging tone, willing him to accept. He knew what she was doing, and he would have none of it.

He shrugged and flipped to the next page of the chart, looking for anything else he had to do. Since there was nothing, he just closed the flip board and replaced it in the holder.

He felt the eyes of all four people on him as he turned towards the crack in the curtain. "Whatever you did," he began, "is between you, your doctor, and whatever God you worship. Were I to involve myself in the complication that is you, I would probably go mad with the effort to understand." He left the enclosure and headed to find his supervisor, Mr. Pilaf.

Kagome couldn't believe it. The prince was still as cold as ever. She scowled. Medallion obviously hadn't done a good enough job, or things wouldn't be that way. She swore he would never find a wife with that attitude.

"Kagome, about Tyrana... the family who wants to employ our services? What do I tell them?" Yusuke asked. It had only been a few months since they'd started their business and Kagome was 'The Boss'.

It was a protection agency and they took care of people but not just rich people. They hired themselves to the protection of anyone who needed it, and somehow they made ends meet even though they didn't make much from most of the jobs they did.

None of them had lasted much more than a week, but this next one promised to last at least a month. Still, Kagome was "The Boss" and had to be the one to make the decision on whether or not they took a job.

Kagome turned her head and looked at her three friends who knew about her business. Kagome wasn't going to bring her old friends into it, as it was their choice. If they wanted to join, they could and Kagome would pay them a wage as well. "Do you want to do it?" She asked them. She wouldn't do it without their opinions either.

Yusuke scratched the back of his neck. "Well, considering I have no family that I would be leaving or anything, I have nothing to lose." He said. Kagome smiled at Yusuke.

He had come into the group when it had barely started and they were doing protection work in Raspuit. He was charming and Kagome adored him but he was also gay which she regretted very much. Still, he was the perfect person to play the roll as her "husband" if she did any serious work that required her to have a match and already she'd needed to use him for such things.

For him, he believed he had no family because his boyfriend had been betraying him with his own mother, which was quite the slap in the face. Rather than slicking his hair back from his face as he normally did, he kept it loose and it was disheveled, his left eye slightly red and blue from where he'd gotten nailed with a fist in a fight.

Other than that, he was completely unchanged from his dirt brown eyes to his ragged clothes. He had money to get better clothes, but preferred comfort over class.

"You can count me in." Kagura said. She had been with Kagome since the start, and had been Kagome's first friend when she moved to Snowsville. At the moment, she was currently "with" Hiei, and the two shared a bed at night.

What they did in that bed, Kagome didn't want to know but she had a good enough idea that she would never sleep in a bed they had used previously.

Kagura had finished up College quickly and got three diplomas in three different areas, which was quite bizarre. One in Psychiatry, one in Forestry, and one in Mechanical Engineering, and yet she had not gone into a field of work where she could actually use them.

Well, she was quite good at using mind tricks on people, which was a good thing Hiei was with her because he knew them all and could avoid being played like a toy.

She also liked to play with people, but that was irrelevant information. Her looks were exactly the same, with no change to them, as when Kagome had first met her, including the same hair style she liked so much.

The tight hair bun gave her a much colder look (especially when paired with her crimson eyes) than she really was. Most people backed off immediately if she even hinted that she was peeved.

Hiei scowled, pretending to be irritated, though Kagome knew him to be the exact opposite. He was worried about Kagome because she'd been stabbed, shot, and burned by the woman who they last had gone up against. The woman had gotten away but Kagome knew she would find the woman eventually.

After all, Kagome remembered the gold skinned woman who had shot Rin, and Kagome knew that woman could only be the gold skinned woman. She was still trying to find out information on the woman to make finding her at least slightly easier but it was difficult. She wished above all that she had Sango's inane ability to hack into things and find things out but she knew that was a far cry. Very far.

Hiei grumbled, "I suppose I have no choice. Someone's got to baby sit you three." It was the usual excuse. He wanted to go, but expressing that was not easy for him. Expressing feelings had been so much easier before Kagome had turned him down. But either way, he had Kagura now, and she understood him better than anyone.

She and he had grown up together and though they had once felt like brother and sister, the bond had grown steadily deeper since Hiei had closed his failing alchemy shop.

No one in Snowsville wanted to buy anything, so there was no point in trying was there? Besides; Kagome paid him to create medicines, and supplied him with the things he needed. What more could he ask for?

"Good, we'll leave as soon as we can, though I probably should visit my family."

"Avoiding us, are you Princess?" A quiet masculine voice came from nearby. Kagome turned her head and saw her father in a wheelchair, being pushed by her brother. Her mother walked beside the two. Naraku was looking very ill. "I noticed you collected your inheritance."

"Papa?" Kagome was shocked. She hadn't expected them to find out she was in the hospital. Sesshoumaru walked into the ever larger enclosure after them. "Sesshoumaru, you rat!" She scowled. "I should have known you'd do something like this."

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "I saw they had not been informed, so I gave Kali a call. Really, Higurashi, you shouldn't be so cold." Kagome watched him with narrowed eyes. His tone was mocking and somehow still his face was bland as though she were beneath him.

Technically, she was beneath him because she was a normal person and he was a demon prince, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that he got punished, oh and she could think of plenty of delightful little places she could send him (the seventh level of hell being the nicest of them all).

Kagura stood immediately, her eyes near popping out of their sockets. "Doctor Onigumo!" she breathed reverently. Nothing compared to her obsession in following Kali's work.

Kali waved Kagura off, smiling as she walked over to the younger Psychiatrist. "Kagura, please. We are women of the same profession. Do not act as though you are not my equal!" She chuckled. "Besides, I knew your mother.

I am surprised you do not remember me from when you were little. But all is well." She turned to Sesshoumaru. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru. I appreciate the call, and we will be quiet." That last comment seemed to be directed more at Souta than anyone. He looked ready to murder Kagome.

"'Gome, do you know I nearly died when the call came?" he hissed at his sister. "I could have keeled over and you wouldn't care!" He pushed Naraku up to the side of the bed and began pacing in the small area.

Sesshoumaru picked up the chart once more and scratched an 'x' in the box asking whether or not family had been notified. "Yes, I see that quiet settling in already." He drawled. Only Kagome heard him.

Souta was still ranting. He continued to look over the chart, making sure he missed nothing. It wouldn't do to say he would take care of "Higurashi" if he didn't make sure there was nothing else she needed.

Kagura and Kali both whapped a fan on Souta's head to shut him up. Not an electric fan of course, though that would be funny. Just little paper fans. "There are people sleeping here!"

Kagome groaned but no one seemed to hear her exasperation. She wanted them all gone. Every last one of them. Sesshoumaru should not have called her family. She knew things would be like this. She just knew it would be!

Sesshoumaru cleared his throat and as he had expected, the attention was on him. "I'm afraid you'll have to leave now." He pulled the curtain open and it appeared no one had yet woken up. Thankfully, the room was mostly filled with elderly men and women whose hearing had gone and snores shook mountains.

"Thank you for calling us, Sesshoumaru." Kali said as she grabbed Souta's arm and began dragging him out. Naraku followed after turning on the electric to his wheelchair, but he didn't leave without smiling at Kagome encouragingly.

Once they were gone, Sesshoumaru looked towards Kagome's three friends. "You are not exempt from this. Visiting hours ended many hours ago."

Kagura scowled standing and walking towards Sesshoumaru, tapping his chest with her fan. "Who are you to order me about?" Again she tapped his chest with the fan. "You're nobody. Absolutely nobody."

He grabbed the fan before it could tap his chest again, leaning slightly closer to her, leering over her. "I am the doctor in charge, this night. Leave." It was not a question. It was a demand. It was an order that would have to be followed. He knew this, she knew this.

Of course, everyone knew she wouldn't want to just back down. So, Yusuke and Hiei just walked over to her and forced her to back down. "Hey!" Kagura yelped. "You listen here, we're not done with this conversation!" she called to Sesshoumaru as they left the room.

Sesshoumaru looked towards Kagome, who looked to be fighting laughter. He wondered briefly what was so funny, but set it aside. He couldn't understand why before she had looked so angelic to him no matter how many times he saw her beating up her friends.

Now, she just looked like an ordinary woman, like all those other women in the Rave who wanted him for his title, money, and body but not heart, spirit, or personality.

"Don't you have work to do?" she asked him. He didn't respond, but just left, wondering. Thoughts plagued him even more than before. He sighed once he'd made it out of the room. Was it just infatuation? Probably...

And now he felt empty, as though that infatuation had kept him going, and it probably had. Every time he tried to commit suicide when Nekura would abuse him, the thought of Kagome made him remove the knife from his wrist. She had saved his life so many times and she didn't even know it.

That was sad. Now that he no longer felt the need to end his life and was content, he suddenly dropped an infatuation he'd had since he was so very young; since in fact he had first seen her.

He filled that emptiness with what he knew best: cold indifference. He didn't care. It didn't matter. It was irrelevant, just as love was. He did have work to do. He tried to and did blot out the question that most wanted to introduce itself to him. "Am I lonely?" Because the answer...was yes.

It had been a month since the incident at the hospital where Kagome had seen Sesshoumaru and he had pretty much ignored her. She'd thought he'd liked her, but time changed things as she knew all too well, and understandably he'd probably just been infatuated.

Rather than dwelling too much on Sesshoumaru, she'd engrossed herself in her work with Kagura, Hiei, and Yusuke; taking them to Ireland to help a family out of a tight spot who requested the help. That had taken about two weeks, but they'd decided just to hang out in Kagome's mansion in the hills and had been there since.

Now, though, Kagome had to go home because her mother was getting married and requested Kagome's presence. Yusuke, Kagura, and Hiei were coming along so they could laugh at Kagome in a dress, never having seen her in one before.

Shortly after take-off, Kagome found herself taking Valium to ease her nerves. She would have kept popping the pills one after another if Yusuke hadn't wrestled the bottle from her.

She couldn't sleep this time on the plane, because the ride wasn't going to be long enough, but her body was tense and a headache was forming in the back of her mind as she recalled her first plane trip –the cause of all the anxiety.

She'd been unconscious the first time, so it might be wondered how she could remember it, but it wasn't the actual plane ride she remembered that made her nervous. It was the memory of the battle that had ensued in her mind between the two halves of her, and just the memory of that pain made her want to vomit up her meager lunch.

She knew this would come back to haunt her later –things like that always did. But for now, she clenched one armrest in one hand while the other hand's nails dug into Yusuke's arm painfully. He winced and tried to pry her hand off but to no avail. Soon, he felt the trickle of blood running down his arm and knew she'd broken the skin.

It was going to be a long forty-five minutes.

Trying to take his mind off the pain in his arm, he looked around the cabin. The plane was small. There were three seats to each side of the cabin, then the isle in the middle that shot straight up to the first class seating and straight back to the lavatories and flight attendant seating.

The plane was dark mostly; just a few isle lights for the flight attendants to see by when they walked through, and some of the overhead reading lights were on.

Outside the window that Kagome sat next to it was dark. The only light was from the bright light on the wing that shone in his eyes making him ill if he looked too long at it.

Finally, Kagome passed out from all the nerves and her grip on his arm loosened. He took a deep breath and looked at the wounds. Since transforming, her nails were sharper than a Surgical Stainless Steel knife.

They'd bitten deep, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. He reached over and, to the shock of the person sitting next to them, started digging in her pocket even though it was rather hard.

He pulled out her handkerchief and wrapped it around the wounds. Just like many times before, he wished his priest powers were not just destructive.

"How very indecent of you!" the old woman gasped. "Stealing from the young lady! How dare you?" She pulled her tote bag closer to her body, as though afraid he might do it to her too. Her eyes were as wide as saucers.

Yusuke sneered at her, in no mood to put up with senile old women. "Listen, old hag. If you know what's good for you, you'll shut your trap." His voice was an angry snarl that made her shake in her seat. She was the type who would be too frightened to do anything about it. "She's my girlfriend, so I'll do what I well please to her!" Of course, it wasn't quite true.

Kagome wasn't his girlfriend, but he would like to ravish her skin and...Wait, where did that thought come from? He was gay! That meant he found only the same sex attractive... hmm... could Kagome be a guy in disguise? No, he'd seen her naked, she was quite clearly a girl.

That had been purely accidental. Nothing purposeful about that... it was just that... well he hadn't known she took baths completely naked! That was the lamest excuse he'd ever thought up...

But it hadn't struck him at that particular time when she said "I'm bathing" that she would be naked, so he'd entered the room. Seeing her naked in full glory made his jaw drop, and at the time, he'd been brushing his teeth so his mouth was full of toothpaste.

Imagine opening his mouth with a large gulp of liquid in it, and the picture of what happened should be clear as glass. His mouthful of toothpaste slipped past the barriers that were his lips and drenched both him and the floor beneath him.

And she'd been standing to get out, so her body was dripping with water, sleek and sexy as ever if not more so. If she knew his thoughts, she would probably have beat him up for even seeing her naked, so he didn't dare to admit –not even to himself— the dangerous thoughts he had.

It was so much easier to pretend he was not finding the opposite sex attractive; so much easier to pretend that everything in his world was as normal as it used to be, before Kagome entered the parlor that day what seemed like so long ago but was really only a few years.

As the plane began its descent towards Earth, it began to shake and rattle, and Yusuke was grateful that Kagome was asleep. He had no idea why she was freaked out every time she got on a plane, but he didn't need any more 'reminders' of her fear.

Next time, Kagura or Hiei would fly with her, and he would stay back in Ireland waiting for the next flight out rather than taking three different flights with Kagome on their way to Sunset, Japan. It had only been a month since they'd been there, and that was because Kagome needed hospital care that seemingly only Sunset Hospital could provide, out of all the hospitals in the world.

And the funny thing was, Yusuke found that he really didn't mind Kagome gouging holes in his arms with her extremely knife-sharp nails, for all his complaining thoughts. It reminded him there were other things to think about than Eyndi.

Strangely enough though, every time he thought of being with a man these days, any man even Eyndi, he felt thoroughly disgusted like the thought was wrong. But when the thought about doing some of the things he did with Eyndi with Kagome?

He forced his thoughts away from that line of direction as he woke Kagome up. They were taxiing along and would be for about ten more minutes, but that was not really much of a problem he was sure.

As soon as the docking bay was pulled up to the plane and the doors were opened, the lights came on in the cabin and people began standing, grabbing their carry-on bags from the overhead bins and waiting their turn to leave.

Yusuke couldn't wake her, and all the Valium she'd taken had relaxed her so much that she wouldn't wake for quite some time. He hesitated, but then unbuckled her and groaned as he struggled to pick her up, one arm under knees, the other bracing her back and head.

When he got into the isle, a flight attendant approached him. Everyone else had gone by then, the elderly lady had left at a quick walk, managing to snake her way to the front of the line to get away from Yusuke, and only now did Yusuke remember their carry-on bags (still tucked safely in an overhead bin).

"Sir, is something the matter?" The flight attendant said quite politely; it seemed to be one of the first things you would learn in flight school would be the usage of 'sir' and 'ma'am'. Quite frankly, being called 'sir' bothered Yusuke, though he would not mention it.

"Yeah; I forgot our carry-on bags." He grumbled, but hadn't meant for the woman to hear him. He set Kagome back in a seat and reached up to grab their bags from the overhead bin, only to find his hand had hit the door to the bin.

Had he been paying attention, he would have realized that only his and Kagome's bags were in the overhead bin and so it would not have been opened yet.

Asking himself when this day would come to an end (in his head of course, he didn't want anyone to think he was crazy), he opened the bin and threw the straps of the two bags over his shoulder. Picking up Kagome was not any easier the second time.

"What have you been eating?" He asked the unconscious girl. "Damn, you need to lose some weight." Finally he was standing, but he could go nowhere with the flight attendant in his way.

"Is she ill?"

"No, she decided to pop off to LaLa land, what do you think?" He snapped. "Of course she's ill!" The day was wearing on him, and Kagura's attitude towards idiots really had caught him tightly. "Now move so I can get home! I've still got to drive four hours!"

It was two in the morning, and he'd not slept much in the past twenty-four hours, so reasonably he'd be a bit snippy, but at the look on the flight attendants face, he felt guilty at taking it all out on her.

"I'm sorry." He told her, in a much less angry tone. "I'm not mad at you, just irritated that my whole life is askew." He left it at that and she moved aside. He made his way off the plane and through the airport to the baggage terminal, finding his flight number and waiting for it to unload their bags.

He wondered how he would manage carrying both their luggage (four bags including their carry-ons) and Kagome at the same time. The answer came when their luggage did not.

That unfortunately served to only make him more ticked off and he was already attracting much attention because he was carrying Kagome.

The fuming Yusuke struggled to carry Kagome to the rental car counter and thanked any god that would listen that there was no line.

As the man went through a list of questions, asking to see his driver's license (he struggled to get that out of his pocket without dropping Kagome) for a form of identification, he answered them all curtly.

Finally he had the paperwork for a car and, considering his hands were busy, had to carry the papers in his mouth to the shuttle bus that would take him to the rental home. He was able to relax on the bus finally, and he massaged his sore shoulders and neck for the bare five minutes the ride lasted.

He was so irritated he didn't bother to tip the shuttle driver. He didn't think it mattered much; considering he was giving the company over six hundred dollars just to rent the car for three days.

Finally he was on his way to Sunset, only he didn't have the map. That was safely stowed away in Kagome's luggage, which had not come out of the baggage terminal. Kagome had assured him that their luggage wouldn't get lost.

So he had to pay now for a new map. But it was three in the morning; he just wanted sleep! Kagome showed no signs of waking, the roads were slippery with rain slick and patches of snow drifts, and there was nothing to say he wouldn't fall asleep at the wheel.

He decided that stopping at a motel would be smarter than trying to drive in his angry, tired condition. With the luck he'd been having lately, he would probably run them off the road into a ditch somewhere and kill them both. Peachy keen.

The next morning dawned a blizzard, and Yusuke regretted stopping at the hotel. For one, the hotel service wasn't all that great; the bathroom was falling apart, there were dead roaches under the bed, and the mattresses were lumpy and wide enough for about a half-person, but at least Kagome was awake.

She was used to driving in this sort of weather; he hoped anyway. She was dressed in the spare clothes from her carry-on, but didn't have a coat considering that too was in her bag. She didn't have to ask why their bags were not with them. She could guess.

"Ready to go?" Kagome asked him, grinning openly at him. She acted as though she had not spent eight hours in unconsciousness. But then again, perhaps that was for the best?

Seeing her standing there, at the foot of his meager bed, her hair loose rather than the normal braid and cascading down her shoulders like a wavy waterfall, made him want to smile. Every bad thing from the day before seemed strangely far back in time. She was a good thing to wake up to, he thought.

Now was the time to admit to his self that somehow, someway, he had fallen out of love with men, into a straight path, and in love with her. A warm feeling built in his chest at the sight of her and he had to gulp down the lump in his throat.

"Of course." He said, throwing back the covers and standing up.

She waved to the boxers and tee-shirt that he'd worn for bed. "Going to go out there like that?" She joked. "You're supposed to save that look for me alone."

To her surprise, he blushed and grabbed his pants, pulling them on and tucking down his boxers so they wouldn't get caught in the zipper. It had happened before, and it had been a devil trying to get the zipper open again, leaving a hole in his boxers that wasn't supposed to be there.

"If you want me so bad, just take me." It was his usual response, but said with much less confidence than usual. Quickly he regained his composure and threw her one of his 'I'm sexy and you want me' looks that he knew set her skin on fire.

He could turn any woman into mush, he knew. He wasn't bragging, but he knew he could do it.

He walked over to her and slipped one hand to the small of her back and pulled her close, burying his nose in her hair. She hadn't washed it for two days, but that was hardly bad. Taking a deep breath of the aroma that was her, he let his other hand trail her tight stomach lightly.

Though he usually did this to her as a daily ritual, just to unsettle her, this time was different. He never really tried to steal a kiss from her when he did this, but this time he let his mouth capture hers and he knew right away that she would give in.

They all did; no woman could resist him. It was impossible, because Gay Guys Were Irresistible! He'd never found one yet who could resist him and soon the two were fumbling at each other's clothing hurriedly.

A knock at the door brought them back to their senses before they could do much more than get their shirts removed. They dressed quickly and before they left the room to hand in the key, Yusuke grabbed her around the waist once more and swept her to the moon on a kiss that she'd never experienced before.

Still, she preferred to ride the avalanche-kiss that Sesshoumaru gave her than fly to the moon in a rocket of emotion. She wasn't left as breathless by Yusuke as she was by Sesshoumaru, though why he was coming to mind was beyond her.

Neither talked about what had almost happened in that dumpy motel, but that didn't mean the ride to Sunset was completely silent as they drove through the heavy snowfall. Likely, this would be the last snowfall before everything went dry again.

They talked of weather, work, and technology, all while ignoring what had happened. Yusuke didn't understand what had compelled him to touch her like that, but he knew why she didn't fight against him. He knew exactly how to get a woman to respond the way he wanted them to, and unlike some people who might use their priest powers against a woman, he didn't need to.

When they entered Sunset, Kagome pulled out her cell phone at a stoplight and dialed the Shrine. It rang a few times before it was picked up by a breathless person, and a voice that seemed recorded spoke. "Hello, Sunset Shrine Psychiatry, Yuri speaking, how may I direct your call?"

"Hi, Yuri." Kagome said pleasantly, pressing gently on the gas as the light turned green. "It's Kagome; is my mama there?"

Again the recorded voice spoke at the same time that Kagome heard footsteps walking away from the other end of the phone in a hurried pace. "Please wait one moment while I transfer you to or find the person or persons of your inquiry."

Kagome guessed that Yuri was not speaking still. It was a few moments before Kagome heard her mother's voice on the phone, and by this time she was stuck in the noon rush hour. "Hello, this is Doctor Onigumo."

"Oh, mama, you really need to change your falsely severe voice." She joked. The reason they were headed for Sunset was because her mother was getting married. Kagome was slightly upset that she had not been a part of this decision, but the man was a good one at least.

Kohaku and Sango would be Kagome's brother and sister soon. That sort of bit Kagome in the rear upon hearing that because she knew she still had something for Kohaku; even though it had been Kagome and Kohaku's plan to begin with to set their parents up.

"Kagome!" her mother's voice was a jumble of excitement and Kagome laughed. "Oh Kagome, I'm so glad you can make it! You'll be my maid of honor, right?"

"Mama, I told you two days ago I would be." She scolded gently as she parked in front of the shrine. It was a Wednesday so there were available parking spaces. "Settle down or you might piss your pants, you'll be so happy."

"Language!"

"Mama, who's the billionaire here?" Kagome said in a tone of mock-hurt. She noticed there were a couple other vehicles parked in the parking spaces, but not many and so she ignored them.

"This mama does not care if you're a billionaire or a poverty-stricken monkey; you'll watch your language."

Kagome couldn't help it. She burst out laughing at the image in her mind of her mother scolding a ragged looking monkey who held out a cup asking for change. It was just too funny to her. "See you in a bit, mama." Kagome said and after her mother had hung up, she did too.

"Well, that was thoroughly pointless." Yusuke drawled. He ran a hand through his thick black hair but stopped and looked at his hand. Only hours before he had run that self-same hand through Kagome's hair as though it was supposed to do that.

Finally, he reached a decision that would change his life. He didn't want to forget, or ignore, what had gone on between them, or almost gone on that is.

He didn't want her to forget or ignore it either. He reached across the distance and grasped her chin lightly, feeling her shudder under his touch. It was amusing to watch her turn to mush by a simple touch. But she was different than anyone he had ever met.

Somehow...

Turning her face, he pulled her gently to a kiss that he would make sure she remembered. Their tongues fought, their fingers entwined, and he pressed her slightly into the door of the tiny car, knowing with every ounce of his life that he would never look at a man the same way he'd done before.

Slowly, since he'd met her, he should have realized what would happen. It was obvious then that he wouldn't be able to stay like that. She brought a change to his world just by introducing himself to her.

Surprising him was a rare thing to happen, but she did it at every turn, especially when she pushed him regretfully away. "Not here." She told him. "It's neither the time, nor the place." To him it was clear she had at least some affection towards him, but something else held her back. A past love?

Yusuke nodded and reached into the back seat, grabbing their carry-on bags. Together, they climbed the steps to the place that Kagome used to call home. Exactly three years before, this was her home. She had barely seen it since, mostly because regular visits were illegal for her at the time.

She felt joy well up in her chest as she walked through the snowy gates of the shrine and into the courtyard that was filling with snow quickly. Three rather bundled and stooped figures were trying to shovel the snow to the side of the courtyard.

Kagome was so happy to be back that instead of feeling cold from the deadly winds dragging at her shirt and pants and the snow that swirled around her, she felt warm and tears brimmed in her eyes. The greatest feeling she'd ever felt, she now knew it was coming home to the place of her birth.

Truly this place was where she was born. Her mother had gone into labor in the middle of a strange September snowstorm that should never have occurred, and she and Naraku had to birth a baby who was two months premature. The doctors had said it was a miracle Kagome had even survived the birth; Naraku told Kagome that her survival was fate. Naraku was a firm believer in God and "everything was meant to be".

Kagome veered from her path, heading for the stairs that led to the top of the wall surrounding the Shrine property. Yusuke waited where he was at the entrance, knowing very well he was not needed at the moment and feeling left out slightly.

He spoke nothing of this feeling, knowing it probably tied into all those other silly feelings he'd felt recently including those towards Kagome.

Standing up on the wall, she let the wind caress her body, kiss her face, and trail on her hair. One of the tears stinging in her eyes trailed down her cheek leaving a pleasant burning sensation when the liquid mixed with the air.

She stood in two feet of snow up here, but didn't care. She knew if she slipped, she could sprout wings before she landed on the ground fifty feet below. From this vantage point, she could see pretty near the entire shrine, including Madison's Labyrinth beyond the forest, and the well just past the large swimming pond that was covered in ice.

She could recall getting lost in Madison's Labyrinth with Souta when she was younger. When Kagome and Souta had quarreled while lost, they'd split up and instead got lost alone. Somehow she'd found her way to the center of the labyrinth and as it got darker, the stone statue of her many greats grandmother glowed with iridescent light.

She'd curled up at her grandmother's feet, not really frightened by the three demons that were set stone around her grandmother; more afraid of the dark than anything and being alone.

When she'd woken up, she was in her bed at home. No one had come to get her; because apparently she'd never really gone into the labyrinth. Souta couldn't remember it either. That led her to believe it was a dream, but it had felt so real.

She could recall the feel of the strange stone that her grandmother and the three demons were seemingly carved into; she could recall the feel of the moist ground and the feeling of comfort and safety after her grandmother had begun to glow... but was that all silly dreams as everyone said?

Even the well and swimming pond gave Kagome memories. At age eight, she fell into the dry well and spent a month in the hospital because she'd cracked her skull open. She'd fallen into the swimming pond once during the winter because she'd tried skating on thin ice. That meant two weeks of miserable days in bed for both Kagome and Souta.

Souta had been the one who saved her from the pond; she'd been foolish for a fourteen year old, he'd been smart for a thirteen year old. Of course, she could swim, but she'd swum the wrong way and ended up with solid ice over her head and couldn't find the hole out.

Sango, Souta, Kohaku, and Miroku had all chipped away at the ice as fast as they could with their skates and finally made a hole large enough to reach their hands inside and start digging away at the ice. It had been a frantic scramble, but all four of them had showed level heads in a panic; something Kagome found difficult every so often.

Kagome had fallen unconscious from lack of air before they could get at her and her skates began to drag her down and away from them. When they had a hole large enough, Souta stripped to his boxers and went after her.

The water was icy cold, but he didn't care. His sister was much more important than his health. When he found her, he took off the heavy clothing as fast as he could from her body, letting the skates sink to the bottom of the pond, running short on air, and calling upon his priest powers to melt a hole in the ice that was above him when he came up.

Later on, he had said he didn't know why he didn't just do that in the first place, but it just hadn't occurred to him.

This place was home to thousands of her memories, each she cherished. She knew she couldn't let herself forget where her home really was, even if she traveled the globe trying to sort out other people's affairs.

"Kagome!" she heard a very recognizable voice holler. She looked down and saw her mother looking terribly frightened up at her. "Get down before you fall down!"

Her mother's fear was reasonable. Clumsy Kagome had also fallen off this wall when she was little and from fifty feet up she was lucky she hadn't died. She'd landed on her feet, but the weight of her body had crushed her legs.

Healing after that was no simple matter and she required much attention from her mother's priestess power so the bones in her leg which looked like the pieces of candy after a hammer had a go at it would heal clean.

"Mama, I'm fine!" Kagome yelled down to her mother and got a wicked idea in her mind. Like sharp knives, she grew wings that pierced her shirt to be free and let her footing slide. Her mother wouldn't see the wings until she was close up because of their dragonfly-like transparency, and as she fell she kept the wings coming.

Her mother screamed and began rushing over the snowy courtyard, petrified that her daughter was about to be crushed like a cat being thrown off a silo with a eight pound brick tied to its legs.

"Kagome!" that was Souta's voice. He of course didn't know about how she was half-demon yet, so what a surprise he would get. Just five feet before she smashed into the ground, she unfurled her wings and grew feathers on them.

It took less than a millisecond and anyone who saw it would have thought they just appeared out of nowhere, but Kagome had grown them, and now she glided to a soft landing at her mother's feet in a crouch.

Her mother looked at the large gray feathered wings on Kagome's back, her eyes wide, her mouth a tight line of disappointment. "You don't galumph around here making me so scared! You'll give me a heart attack!!"

Kagome threw her arms around her mother, grinning at her brother who was just ten feet away. He'd discarded his shovel and his eyes were more than angry.

His midnight blue eyes roamed her face, as though looking for a sign that she was some crazy person pretending to be his sister. Finally, from the look on his face, it seemed he had come to a decision. She was a crazy person, but she wasn't pretending to be his sister. That really was her.

Her mother hugged her back and began giggling. "Kagome, its good you're back." She said honestly. "Kohaku has been asking when you would arrive every five minutes."

Kagome laughed and searched the few faces in the courtyard for the said eager boy. Her mother took off her jacket as Kagome comfortably folded her wings against her back. When she felt a weight on her shoulders, she looked at her mother's coat. "I'm going inside." Kali told her. "There's a surprise waiting for you in the Counseling room."

Kagome pecked her mother on the cheek and walked over to Souta. Kohaku and Sango were the other two shovel-ers. For now, though, she wanted family. Instead, Souta crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her, his blue eyes furious. "Bitch!" He said as Yusuke, Sango, and Kohaku came to join them.

"Don't swear." Kagome quipped.

Suddenly, before Kagome could say anything more, or do anything else, she was swept up in the air and twirled around by Kohaku and then found him pressing a firm kiss to her lips.

"Love transcends time," Kali recalled she'd written in an article quite some time before as she watched her daughter and Kohaku. She'd had no doubt that her marriage would not stop the two from loving each other.

It was actually quite possible they would end up together in the end. They had always been serious about each other when they were together.

Of course, Kali knew Kagome flirted and kissed other boys, but she was different. Kohaku knew that even if Kagome flirted and kissed other boys, he would always be the one who she came to. He loved her, and she loved him.

Neither of them doubted their love for the other, or the other's love for them. It was mutual understanding; the kinds of thing real relationships were created from.

Smiling, Kali closed the door and let her daughter visit. She didn't notice the hurt look Yusuke had; no one noticed. It was only a brief look, before he stowed it away. She walked to her office where Rin was fitting Yuri for the dress she'd wear for the wedding. Time was going so quickly these days!


	11. Eleventh Chapter

The water, so identical to the tears she could no longer shed, drained down her face coming from the shower head that seemed so far above her. Her arms were stretched out in front of her as the water soaked her generally artificial body touching the wall that seemed so far away but yet was so close.

Her hair was still up because when she took a shower at school, she didn't want anyone to accidentally see the plastic implant that was part of her skull, making even her head have artificial bones in it.

She cried, but it wouldn't have mattered either way. No one would hear her anguished calls for a normal existence. No one would even see the evidence of it because she couldn't shed tears. It was physically impossible for her to do.

It hurt her to hear what had been said by a group of foolish freshmen during gym class and it made her feel dirty for some reason, and it wasn't the sweat or sand from the indoor volley court that made her this way either.

It was the idiocy and carelessness of those who had spoken, who had dared to utter such vile words even though they didn't know what Rin suffered at their words.

I am twenty years old! Rin thought, angry at herself for even thinking the way her thoughts were going. I am twenty years old; I should not be caring anymore! It has been eight years since the change, and there is nothing I can do to be normal again.

She had expected these thoughts to cheer her up and make her leave the shower, change from her bathing suit to her school uniform, and get to lunch where undoubtedly her friends were waiting for her, but she just couldn't bring herself to leave the small enclosure.

Instead of exiting it, she leaned against the wall with her back and slid down to sitting position. She felt the water pounding on her head and streaming down her body but ignored it, closing her eyes lightly.

A nap... Those always made her feel better. She just wished Raine wasn't at the College. If Raine would just graduate already instead of seeking all the knowledge there was in the world, Rin might have been able to communicate with someone who knew that she was a dirty Cyborg and yet didn't mind.

The things those girls had said, she was letting it all get to her far more than she knew she should, but perhaps it was due to the new emotions she was feeling? Why though?

She had no idea why she was feeling so strange lately because the emotions that she was feeling she knew were supposed to stem mainly from the heart and the ability to menstruate.

Of course, she didn't have a real heart, she had an electronic artificial one that pumped not only blood but also a blue-violet fluid that cooled her body and heated her body as needed.

She also didn't have the ability to menstruate because when the doctors had made her a Cyborg, they took out her ovaries so she couldn't reproduce ever again.

The past two years had been filled with strange emotions that she couldn't understand and the past two days frightened her even more than all that because even the smallest thing made her feel like she wanted to cry, yet the tears would not come due to inability to produce tears as a Cyborg.

"I want to go home..." she whispered to the water pooling in the drain. She knew if her skin had not been false, she would have pruned rather badly considering she was in the shower for nearly three hours. Yet, still, she felt filthy.

_"I wish I could be a Cyborg. Don't you think that'd be just so cool?" _

You do not think. Rin thought miserably. It is not all fun and games, hiding because you are half machine. Multiply the hate you have for demons in the school by ten and you still do not come close to how much fear just the knowledge of what I am instills in people.

I can not exactly be easily controlled like androids can, which is why people fear and hate me. Humans hate what they cannot understand.

Those thoughts made Rin feel even worse. "I do not think of myself as a human anymore?" she sobbed, her hands going to her face, hiding it in shame. She wished she could release her grief through tears, but she couldn't.

"Checkmate." Kikyou said quietly, smiling at Sango. Sango frantically looked at the board, trying to think where she had gone wrong. "Oh, it is not so bad." Kikyou's voice, as usual, was only a whisper. "Face it; you're not great at everything."

"No! It's impossible!" Sango groaned. She saw Yuri shaking in silent laughter beside her and stuck her tongue out at the mute girl. "Well, at least I have my dignity." She said, but then felt a warm hand on her backside and moving further South. Reflexes instantly kicked in, and she swiveled in her chair, her foot kicking out.

"Oomph!" Miroku fell to the ground, his hands covering his crotch, eyes rolled up in pain. "Ho, mama...That smarts."

Kikyou giggled. "Well, so much for dignity, eh?"

"Oh shut up." Sango grumbled. Whether she was talking to Kikyou or Miroku (who was still moaning in pain) was unknown, but the fact that she was peeved was quite clear.

She turned back to the chessboard and began putting her side back together. Kikyou did the same. "Where do you think Rin went? I haven't seen her since Gym, and she never mentioned anything about going home early or anything."

Yuri began writing quickly on her marker board and held it up for Sango and Kikyou to read. "Are you sure she was upset?" Kikyou asked in her soft voice. "She didn't look upset to me." Yuri shrugged and wiped her marker board clean, then wrote again.

Sango looked over Yuri's shoulder as the mute girl wrote and read aloud as the words came. "'She... seemed... mad... at... some... freshmen.' But Rin hardly ever lets anything get to her."

It was at that moment that Kohaku and Souta decided to join the Study Hall. They burst into the classroom and tripped over Inuyasha, who was napping on the floor in front of the door to the room. All in a tumbled mess, the three boys (one still half asleep) tried to disentangle themselves from each other while the class laughed at them, even their friends. "Your foot's in my ear, Souta!" Kohaku complained.

"Your elbow is digging into my sack!" Souta haloed. "You've got nothin' to complain about!"

Inuyasha growled angrily. "Yeah, well somebody's hand is squeezing my butt and I'm near choking on someone's foot! Get off of me!"

Any chance Souta had to get up was thrown out the window when Rin walked into the room and tripped onto the mess of students. She might have looked small, but she was a rather heavy girl considering her bones were made out of metal.

Only four feet eight inches tall, she might have looked ninety pounds, but she weighed one-hundred thirty five. "Ahh!" she yelped, landing on Souta's back.

"Being...squished...to...death..." Inuyasha groaned, trying to get up but failing miserably. "I can't...breathe..."

"Oh, my nuts, my nuts!" Souta cried, actual tears shining in his eyes.

There was a slight scramble as all four tried to get up at once, and by the time they managed it the bell had rung and most of the students had filed out into the hallway to go to their cars and go home.

The supervisor of the study hall had never shown up, but that was of no consequence. When Rin had managed to get up, she sat down in a desk and took a few deep calming breaths before noticing the silence in the room.

She had expected the others to have left, but when she looked up she saw them all staring at her. Inuyasha, Kohaku, Kikyou, Souta, Miroku, Sango, and Yuri were all staring at her open jawed.

"Is there something on my face?" Rin asked, blushing. She didn't realize what was wrong. It wasn't a noticeable change for her personally, but for others it was a huge change that was thought to be rather odd.

She reached up to her face, brushing her flaming cheeks, though since she had just spent three hours in the shower she didn't know how she had something on her face.

The thoughts rushing through the seven teens staring at Rin were basically the same. She's a machine? Their eyes wandered from her head where they could clearly see the electronic half of her brain through the plastic area of skull where no hair grew, to her face, to the scrunch-tie that lay on the floor.

In the struggle to get up, Souta had felt his hand catch on something, and it was the tie that held up her wet hair in the crazy hair style. Now they could see why she kept that strange hair style.

"You're not real?" Miroku said incredulously. He began backing away a step before Rin noticed the scrunch-tie that remained stationed on the floor.

Real fear mounted in her stomach. Fear was an emotion that, as half-machine, the doctors said she would not feel again. Apparently they were wrong. She lifted a shaky hand up and pressed it to the part of her skull that showed.

"I am real..." she whispered, and if ever there was a time she wanted to cry, it was then. "Or... I used to be..." She bent down and scooped up the tie as the bell rang through the halls. They should have been in class already; the seven minute break was over.

No one moved; they hardly dared to breathe. "Then what are you?" Inuyasha demanded. "Not even a Class A android is so—"

"Shut it, Inuyasha!" Sango hissed. "What she is doesn't matter! Have we complained about you being a half-breed demon? No, we complain that you're a prick, but we leave the 'what' out of any of our feuds!"

Rin slipped her hair up in an unkempt tie and knelt down on the floor to recover her books from where they had scattered in the tumble. "I'll leave..." she murmured. Why did she feel like she'd just run a marathon?

Her artificial heart was pumping faster to cool her heated angry body down. It was beating faster than it was supposed to when pumping. Would it malfunction? Was it malfunctioning?

Her hand went to her chest and her face twisted up in pain. Her heart was not supposed to beat so quickly. Would she die because of a malfunctioning heart?

It was beating against her chest in a way that made her human organs feel like they were being hit with missiles one after another. Sweat formed on her brow and she had the inappropriately timed thought of, if I can sweat, why can't I cry?

So much pain, both emotional and now physical, surged through her. She felt a liquid begin leaking out of her body and wondered if she'd just wet herself. Finally, there was nothing but darkness to greet her. She fell forward and the others saw the blood stain on the floor.

Inuyasha sat down heavily on the floor. "I'm not sure whether to be disgusted or amazed or what." He said quietly, and the others could not disagree with him.

Sure, Sango had stuck up for Rin, but at the same time she had contradicting thoughts that machines were not supposed to live alongside humans and demons. She didn't know if that was real blood on the floor or if the girl in front of her was a fraud and the real Rin was stashed away somewhere.

A knock at the door brought the thoughtful teens that stood around Rin back to attention. They looked to the door to find a strange Rin-look-alike standing in the doorway. Instead of long hair though, she had short hair that looked a bit on the greasy side and a sarcastic look to her face.

Surprisingly, after three years, they had yet to meet Raine, though she knew all of them. Her attention, however, was not on them. The instant her eyes fell upon Rin's unconscious form lying crumpled on the floor, her mind and feet were quick to react.

Quickly she closed the distance between her and her sister. "Rin, wake up." She said, her eyes scanning the others in the room just barely before she knelt beside her sister. "Rin."

Kohaku moved forward and knelt on the other side of Rin, taking with him the barrier between uncertainty and confusion. Obviously Rin was real, and if Rin had given them any reason to fear her over the years, then there might have been reason to be hesitant, but now was the time to decide. "Let me help you." Kohaku said quietly.

"I don't need help from you." She muttered.

"Like hell you don't." Sango snapped. "Kikyou, Yuri, pick up Rin's things." Instantly, Raine felt a rush of gratitude because she'd gotten to the school on the transit system and carrying Rin alone to a bus filled with people who didn't like her wasn't always safe. That, and Raine knew she couldn't lift Rin alone.

Kohaku lifted Rin carefully, though she was rather heavy. "Lay off the Twinkies, Rin." He grumbled unaware that she was about to respond, and slightly in her own anger.

She had woken up in time to hear him, and to turn on her magna-gravity, a defense mechanism in which her body attraction towards earth became greater, thus making her heavier. "Ah!" Kohaku yelped as he fell back into a chair jamming his funny bone on the desktop.

Raine giggled. "Rin, you're awake. Are you alright?" Raine said her hand moving to Rin's forehead, then checking the pulse at the wrists.

Still, no one had moved. It seemed like they had just been shot back into time and didn't know how to move or speak anymore.

Rin clamored off of Kohaku's lap and stood up, turning off her magna-gravity. "I am... I think I am alright."

"I got worried when you didn't come out of the school. When we get home, we'll check to see what is happening to make you lose consciousness." Raine promised. "I'm sorry I've been so busy lately." Her voice was a whisper that echoed through the room. Chirping crickets would have sounded like strikes of thunder at that particular moment.

"I am... bleeding..." Rin said, looking at the blood on her leg with a true look of horror on her face. "I am bleeding... bleeding!" Raine was startled by the blood yet again. Where was it coming from? Why was it coming?

* * *

Kagome laughed at Kohaku's father's joke as she had an early dinner with her mother and Kohaku and Sango's father. Yusuke, claiming he wanted to explore the town, had not joined them for lunch.

An exceptionally happy waitress with a tag reading "Waitress Sammy" served them their beverages. Each of them had ordered tea, but Kagome got flavored Orange Tea instead of the traditional Green Tea like her mother, and soon to be step-father, was drinking.

It was four o'clock, which meant that Souta should have been home by then, but Kagome had instead decided that they shouldn't wait for Souta anymore. If he was going to be late when Kagome had specifically told him to be home by three thirty, then he didn't need to sup with them. Still, she had left him a note, hoping he would show up at the restaurant.

"Imagine! A hamster ventriloquist!" Kagome shared a laugh again with her soon to be step-father and mother, but they were careful not to be over exuberant. It would be rude to just start shrieking laughter at the top of your lungs in the middle of a fancy restaurant.

When they calmed down again, Kagome's mother looked at her. "So I hear you're looking for an apartment in Sunset, Kagome?" Kali asked with a smile. "Does this mean my baby is coming home?"

Kagome smiled and shrugged. "I feel there is more knowledge that I can grasp, so I intend to head off to Sunset College. I know I already am a P.I. but..." she trailed off.

"P.I.?" Kohaku's father questioned. "What's that?" he seemed intrigued as he sipped his tea, then set it down and stirred it gently.

"Private Investigator." Kagome replied.

"Oh, but why an apartment? Do you think that your mother and I would not want you around the house? Or else isn't there that mansion your father had around somewhere?" He set his spoon carefully, meticulously on the table.

Kagome ran a hand through her loose hair and sighed as though weary. "Well, because I don't want to rub it in people's faces that I'm...you know...wealthy. And I mean, come to think of it, that mansion hasn't been used in over seventy or eighty years it has to be.

"It's probably a bit more than run down and will need a little fixing up. But I just wouldn't feel comfortable, no offense mama, moving back in with you." She smiled then, reassuringly.

"There are a few apartments I've already got in mind, and Kagura, Hiei, and Yusuke are moving to Raspuit to study at the college there after the wedding."

"But wasn't your business doing well for you?" Voicing her concerns had always been a strong point for Kali, but this time she was apprehensive. She wanted Kagome to do well for herself.

Kagome's eyes went wide and she shook her head violently. "Oh it's doing just fine!" she assured her mother. "I just have a few ambitions to fill before we continue further."

She couldn't tell her mother about the fact that she was searching for information on the gold skinned woman. Her mother would forbid her from delving into dangerous people's pasts, and would certainly forbid her from chasing after these dangerous people.

"Like having a family?" Her mother waggled her eyebrows suggestively, and the very fact that the words came from her mother's mouth made her laugh.

She shook her head no and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "I don't need to tie myself down just yet. Speaking of families; a girl from Snowsville is going to be coming here at my request. Is it alright if I pay you for the use of one of the fasting rooms for her to stay in for the time being? I promise to well compensate you for it."

Kali smiled and reached across the distance, placing her hand on Kagome's arm. "She may stay, but I forbid you from paying me for it."

Kagome grinned. "Just like you always were, mama. You haven't changed, contrary to popular beliefs. Then I shall conveniently forget some money in your office."

"Oh, no you shan't!" Kali pursed her lips in a frown. Kagome laughed at her mother's use of words and turned to Kohaku's father as he spoke.

"So, Kagome, what are your intentions with Kohaku then?" He asked with a secretive grin on his face. "You slept quite cozy in his arms last night, I suppose." He knew she had; he had seen it when he went to wake Kohaku up for school.

Instead of sleeping at the Shrine, Kagome had stayed with Kohaku and Sango instead. At least he doubted they did anything with Sango there, and they were wearing pajamas at least which was a first for Kohaku who normally slept in boxer-shorts alone.

"You've only been back a day and already you two are together again after all it took to separate you." His grin stayed though.

Kagome shared his smile and her thoughts wandered to Kohaku. "Every night before I went to sleep, I took his picture and set it by my bed. Then, in the morning, I took it and set it back on my desk. I don't know; maybe I'm obsessed with him though." Her tone of voice told Kali and Kohaku's father what they needed to know though.

"So if he'd ask you again, you'd marry him?" Kali asked feeling slightly breathless at the thought of it. She knew her daughter wasn't going to answer that, but it didn't stop her from asking.

"Ready to order?" Waitress Sammy said, her copper hair pinned up in a bun that was slightly disheveled as though hastily fixed after being messed up. The three occupants of the table looked up at Sammy and then two of them looked back at the menu. Kagome's eyes stayed on Sammy, narrowing to detail the girl.

Her hair wasn't messed up five minutes ago. Kagome thought and her eyes glanced a bit of black and blue bruising on Sammy's neck in the shape of a thumb. That definitely was not there five minutes ago.

It angered Kagome that someone would touch a woman hard enough to cause physical injury. As her mother began reciting her order, Kagome stood carefully so she didn't tip her chair over in her haste.

Her mother's voice stopped and Sammy looked at Kagome curiously. Her mother stopped speaking and looked at Kagome.

"Kagome?" Kohaku's father said. "Wouldn't it be polite to wait to use the restroom?"

"I don't need to use the restroom." Kagome said, her hand moving to Sammy's chin and turning it so she could better see the thumb print. Sammy didn't move an inch, as though she had expected someone to notice.

"Who gave you this?" It was difficult for Kagome not to race into the back of the restaurant demanding to know who harmed Waitress Sammy, but she controlled the urge.

"My boss." Sammy's blue eyes were cold and angry as she looked towards the door that said "EMPLOYEE'S ONLY" in big bold capital letters. "No need to worry, miss. Today is my last day here. I'm only staying so I can get my paycheck."

"Hmph." Kagome grasped Waitress Sammy's wrist and moved towards the door that Sammy was eyeing angrily. "Stay here, mama. I won't be long." Kagome said as she passed her mother.

Sammy had no choice but follow, and not only she followed Kagome, but so did confused glances from customers. "No woman should have to suffer the aggression of another."

Her mother and soon to be step-father nodded their agreement and Kagome weaved her way towards the door. "Miss, it's no big deal." Sammy said quietly as though afraid to be heard. "It's my last day." Her voice got weaker as they got closer to the door.

Kagome burst through the door so hard that its edge took a chink of wood from the wall. "It's a big deal. It's a very big deal." Kagome scowled. "Point him out." She said, waving to the many people in the back.

Cooks were cooking, waiters and waitresses were picking up finished plates and placing them on trays, dishwashers were scrubbing pots and pans out. Kagome had already guessed who it was that was 'her boss' the instant she saw the man with the polo shirt and tie.

Her shaky hand came up to point at the scruffy, mildly dressed middle aged man. A smile spread wide across Kagome's face. She had been right. She let go of Waitress Sammy's wrist and walked forward, noting the bruising on several other females, but none of the males.

Her eyes wandered from one girl to the next, yet that eerie smile stayed in place firm on her face. "You've just hit your last bitch." She said when she reached the man. He cringed as though she were about to slap him.

"Oh, I'm not going to hurt you..." she whispered, her finger moving to his brow to flick a droplet of sweat off his forehead. "But you won't like me for very long either."

"Kagome, what did you do to resolve the situation?" Kali asked moments later when Kagome sat down again at the table. When Kagome didn't answer her with anything but a small smile, she repeated her question.

"Oh, mama, don't worry. I'm not quite as hotheaded as I used to be." She assured her mother.

Kohaku's father frowned at the indirect answer. "Kagome, what did you do?" He accused her. Sometimes you could know a person just too well, and then they moved away and you weren't sure how to react. He was finding that out right then.

"You worry too much." Kagome waved her hand in front of her face dismissively, while out of the corner of her eyes she saw eight women leaving the restaurant through a side door, their purses in hand, a slip of paper in the other. The copper haired, blue eyed ex-waitress smiled and waved at her before disappearing out the door.

* * *

Raine was far too careful to just allow a bunch of high school kids into her's and Rin's rooms. She knew they would want an explanation, though.

She allowed them into the living room of the Legume's house and sat them down while she and Rin went into the bathroom to clean up the blood and try to figure out what was going on.

Raine knew she would have to scan Rin's body before any serious determination would be done as to the problem but from what she'd seen and from Rin's slightly panicked explanation of it, she felt confident that the android flesh reproduced the missing ovaries that had been taken out of Rin.

"What if I am bleeding to death?" Rin asked, panicking. It was hard to believe that just hours before she had been wishing for death.

Raine washed her hands in the bathroom sink. "Relax, Rin. Take a deep breath in and then let it out...That's my girl." She turned to Rin while she dried her hands off. "I believe you are no longer barren, due to the reproduction of the android flesh cells. You know how the cells of an android are modeled?"

"No." Rin said bluntly. "I am not particularly interested in androids; just in what might cause me to bleed so heavily from such a ghastly place!"

Raine led Rin out into the living room where the seven high school students were accepting lemonade from Curinrin, Rin and Raine's foster mother. "Yes, its strange Rin, but it probably just took eight years for the cells to rebuild themselves." Raine said. "The flesh is modeled using priestess DNA, which inevitably includes self-revitalization.

"Girls, you should have told me we were going to have company!" Curinrin admonished, as though it were the worst thing in the world. She set the tray with the remaining two glasses of lemonade on the coffee table. "Oh, Rin. Your hair is all messy!"

Rin backed up when Curinrin went to smooth it out. "I can fix it, mum." She said quietly.

"Mum, I fancy a roast for supper, and Relic is joining us for dinner." Raine said brightly.

Curinrin nodded and glanced at the group, counting heads. "So eight extra places?" She asked. She wrung her hands on her apron for a moment before untying it and walking towards the kitchen. By the door she slipped on her shoes and her coat, grabbing her purse.

"No, mum!" Raine said as she passed by. "No extra. Rin was invited over to Doctor Onigumo's tonight again to work on the dresses."

Unfortunately, Curinrin hadn't heard. She'd just closed the door, so Raine looked at Rin. "Go ahead, have a seat. I'll be back in a moment." She hurried towards the door and slipped outside, even though she was just in socks and it was snowy outside.

"Let me guess..." Inuyasha said in a dry voice. "She doesn't know any more about it than we do."

"No..." Rin said quietly. "She knows even less about it, though it is rather surprising because Raine talks about it right in front of her and dad all the time."

A silence filled the air from there, with the only sounds being that of the dishwasher in the kitchen, uncomfortable shifting, and the sipping of lemonade. When the grandfather clock struck the half-past mark of the hour, Rin stood nervously. "I will just go see what Raine is doing." She muttered. "Excuse me."

As soon as she had left, Kikyou said slowly, "It does fit the pieces of the puzzle together a bit though." She set her glass on the tray again, only half gone. "A pessimist would see this glass as half empty, wouldn't you agree?" To the others, it appeared she was completely changing around a subject that she herself had brought up, so they were confused.

Yuri fished her marker board out of her backpack and wrote on it, holding it up for the others to read. "Quite correct, Yuri." Kikyou nodded. "An optimist would see it as half full rather than half empty."

"But that says nothing to what the hell you mean." Sango scowled. "You could make a little bit of sense you know." She rubbed her hands together. "This house is rather cold."

Kikyou sighed, exasperated. "This situation with Rin is much like the glass. We're looking at her as a pessimist would. Has she ever shown us anything but kindness? Sango, look at you and Yuri! She's making both of you dresses free of charge! She wouldn't accept a cent from you or Kali when her skill could have demanded thousands for just one of your beautiful gowns."

"So what?" Sango said. "You realize she's some sort of android, right?"

"Come on, Sango, that's hardly fair!" Souta said, sounding much like his mother when she would scold Souta and Kagome. He bit his lip, but Kohaku continued for him, saying, "She probably knew we'd act like this, so it's not really a surprise she kept it a secret.

"And she was right, I mean look at us, we're more friendly with Inuyasha right now than her, and we've hated him since pretty much we met him and liked her since we met her."

"Friendlier, not more friendly." Inuyasha corrected him instantly, and then regretted it. It was a reflex to correct grammar mistakes after tutoring fourth graders for the past year, but Souta, Sango, Miroku, and Kohaku all gave him a look that told him he was a nerd. He sighed, "Sorry, it's a habit..."

Raine came back into the room with Rin, waving off something Rin had said with her hand and the seven teens immediately closed their mouths and opened their ears.

"No, Rin. You're not getting the point. The point is that the molecular structure of the android flesh is self-revitalizing, and it's recreating the organs taken out of you. This is a good thing because—"

"It is not very good because if the gov—" Rin started, only to have Raine interrupt her as they sat down together on the recliner, both small enough to fit together on it. "So we don't tell them." Raine said bluntly. "Simple as that."

"Don't tell who, what?" Miroku asked, having been mostly silent up until now. "And I think we deserve something of an explanation." He polished off his lemonade and set the empty glass on the tray. "We've been under the impression that Rin was er...human... this whole time. But it turns out she's something...who knows what. I mean, don't get me wrong but—"

"What he's trying to say is that we accept people for what they are, as long as they're honest. If this is all a joke, I'm not laughing." Sango finished. The frown was back and in full force.

Raine ran one of her hands through her slightly greasy hair. "That's nice, because I'm not laughing either. The thing about my sister is rather important, and it's perhaps one of the few matters I place above all else, even my career."

"How sweet." Inuyasha drawled. "Does this mean you're a machine too?" His arms were crossed over his chest and he sat on the floor with his legs crossed in a pretzel fold.

Raine looked to be biting back a snide comment when Rin spoke rather quietly. If the room hadn't been so silent, she wouldn't have been heard at all. "Raine, please do not lash out..." It had been the tone of voice which Inuyasha used that set Raine off. "I am not just a machine." She told them.

"Twelve years ago," Raine started, managing to turn her glare into a smooth and flawless smile, "Rin and our parents went to Egypt to live. Two years later, they were flying back when their plane veered course and crashed into a mountain."

Raine took a deep shuddering breath. "It took me two years to convince the government to make my sister a Cyborg. The idea was experimental, but was said to be a way to make it so she wouldn't just stay a vegetable or die. Rin is the first Cyborg created on Earth. And don't you go saying she's bad either, because she's not! She's a good girl; she just needs a different doctor than you."

"So she is a machine?" Souta questioned. "Or what? I'm confused."

"She's a Cyborg; half of her is composed of human flesh and blood, the other half is composed of cellulose and steel."

Sango clapped her hands together as though dusting them off and stood. "Well, I understand, even if you all don't." She sighed. "It's a relief to know the truth," she admitted. "I'm sorry I was a bitch though."

"Oh, I do not mind really. You have been very kind to me—"

"Oh come off it," Inuyasha's scruffy voice broke through the air, "you can't possibly say you're not bothered by anything we said or how we acted."

"I do not mind if you do not wish to speak with me anymore," Rin went on, "but I would very much appreciate if you would not tell anyone about me... Humans are afraid of what they cannot understand. We have been to so many different families and towns that if this place fails, the government said they will not continue to help fund my upgrades."

"Upgrades?" Kohaku inquired. "What do you mean, upgrades?"

Raine stood up when the doorbell rang. "Consider them doctor appointments. If Rin's body fails, any part of her, then she could die...or worse. Excuse me." She walked away, heading for the door, smiling as she let in a man wearing a thick winter coat and a black hat reading "GUNNAR MARINE CORP" on the top in white embroidery.

An uncomfortable silence rang in the air again as Raine took the man's coat and hung it up. "Was Tea as rambunctious on the way to Sammy's this time?"

As Relic was removing his hat and gloves, sticking them in the sleeves of his coat, he noticed the company. "Company?" He asked with a quirked eyebrow. "I can come back."

"Hn. They're last minute guests of Rin's." Raine said and her tone suggested she was rather annoyed.

Relic took his shoes off at the door and set them by Inuyasha's sneakers. "Oh, alright. Well, it wasn't Tea that was rambunctious really. Sammy apparently got a new job and had been so excited she invited her boyfriend over for dinner. The two were neck and neck when I arrived, so I'm not sure I want to leave Tea there for the night."

Raine chuckled. "I can imagine him doing that too, which is just the strangest thing. He's a flirt with the women, you know."

"Who's that?" Sango whispered towards Rin.

"That would be Relic Johnson, her boyfriend. He goes to school for the same thing she does, but she has been going much longer to the college. It is much simpler to just ignore them when you get them together. Mum and dad seem to enjoy their conversation, but I am very much uncomfortable listening to how to create Anti-Viruses." Rin explained, loud enough for her sister to hear as she stood.

"Oh! Rin, before you go would you come downstairs with me?" Raine asked, startled by her sister's dismissive tone.

Relic sat down in the seat that Rin vacated. "Oh, hey, you must be Inuyasha!" he said to the silver haired boy with a grin. "Relic Johnson; I know your brother from the last college banquet."

"Er...okay." Inuyasha said, shifting uncomfortably on the carpet. He really had no interest in the current conversation and would have much preferred a different subject.

Thankfully, Sango provided that subject as she continued to rub her hands together trying to warm them up. Her cinnamon brown eyes surveyed Relic while she spoke, drinking in his appearance, memorizing his face for future reference just as she always did with a new person she met.

"So, Relic, what are you going to college for?" Curiosity might have killed the cat, but everyone knew the dog made the car swerve. Sango was like the dog, just as curious as any cat, but everyone loved dogs. "If you know Sesshoumaru, he's going to be a doctor, wasn't he?" Truth was she really wasn't sure though she had heard rumors.

"Yeah, he's going to be a doctor but from what I saw, he doesn't really put forth much effort. It's like he's not really in to what he's doing." Relic ran his hands through his hair and then scratched the back of his neck.

"Not much you can do about that, though is there? It's all up to him. Anyway, I'm graduating from Sunset College at the end of the semester, and will move from being a part-time Seed at the SPD to a full-time Seed."

"Sounds like boring stuff if you ask me." Kohaku muttered under his breath.

* * *

"So how was class tonight?" Sammy asked Sesshoumaru, kissing Tea's forehead as she tucked the five year old girl in to sleep, making sure the stuffed bear that Tea loved so much was covered when Tea complained, "Mr. Bear wants his blanky!"

Sesshoumaru shrugged, his long silver hair falling over one of his shoulders as he bent down and scooped up a toy fire truck and three books, replacing the books on the shelf and walking over to the toy chest to open it and replace the tin truck.

"Professor Gregory wants a report on Osteodystrophy, no less than one hundred thousand words; he also wants me to come in for extra lessons." His golden eyes scanned the room, a sigh escaping his lips as he crossed to the dresser, beginning to refold a messed up drawer filled with clothes.

"Mommy, can you get me my blanky?" Tea begged. Her mop of curly copper-blond hair was messy and stuck out in several places, though she obviously only cared about having her baby blanket.

"Sure, sweetie," Sammy told her, "in a moment." Sammy walked over to Sesshoumaru and peeled the tee-shirt out of his hands that he'd been folding. "What's the matter? You're edgy; you've been bothered all night." She kept her voice low so Tea wouldn't hear. Tea was currently making Mr. Bear do flips and then praising the bear for what a good acrobat he was.

Sesshoumaru grasped a pair of pants and folded them neatly, replacing them in the drawer. "What is that on your neck?" His voice was caustic and exacerbated, it was as though he resented the very thought, and he did.

He didn't like the idea one bit because he knew exactly what it was and the thought of anyone touching his girlfriend that way, even though they had only been dating less than a month, angered him though he couldn't fathom why.

"Oh…that." Sammy said, just as Tea said in a hushed yell sitting up in her bed, "Oh no! Mr. Bear fell from the top of a building. Hang on, Mr. Bear! Doll will save you!" Tea reached to the end of her bed where Mermaid Doll was resting and made the finned doll walk towards where Mr. Bear was hanging off an imaginary building to lift him to safety.

Sammy began replacing Tea's things in the drawer, still trying to get Sesshoumaru to stop folding the clothes. They really didn't need to be folded again just because the drawer was a bit disheveled.

"Yeah, that." Sesshoumaru growled, lightly grasping her wrist and pulling her closer to him. His gentle grip reminded her that even though he sounded angry, he always kept a firm grasp on what he felt. The gentle touch of his fingertips to her chin sent shivers down her to a place somewhere in her midriff, making her feel warm and cozy.

He turned her face and brushed his other hand along the bruises lining her neck just behind her ear. They were a bright blue-purple in the light from the ceiling fan. "This is no fall down the stairs, neither is it anything you could have done to yourself."

"Oh... Sesshoumaru, don't worry about it. It's nothing, honestly!" Sammy blushed and her eyes looked at anything but him. She was strong and independent, so long as she remembered that. The problem was remembering that.

"Now if I had ever heard something dumber, I might have laughed." He said, removing his hands from her to favor rubbing his temples. He knew a headache was forming and this one would be a big one.

He didn't even notice the fact that he'd just used a ridiculous word like dumber when any number of words in his expansive vocabulary would have done quite nicely and made him sound more like the stiff personality that was generally him.

"Tea, go to sleep now, okay?" Sammy said, grabbing the little child's baby blanky from the top of the dresser and taking it to Tea. "Say goodnight to Sesshoumaru."

"Goodnight, Mr. Mommy's-boyfriend-who-is-named-Sess"—a sleepy yawn cut off the rest of what she might have said. She curled up with Mr. Bear, her blanky, and her thumb jammed in her mouth and was asleep within seconds. The blankets were already askew on her body, so Sammy had to cover her up again.

"Sammy, just tell me who did it." Sesshoumaru told her as they walked together into the kitchen, both sitting at the small island counter that was considered the table. Sammy poured him a glass of the wine that her mother had sent to her for her birthday, and then poured one for herself, replacing the cork on the bottle.

As she sampled the wine, Sammy weighed her options. She could tell him, and undoubtedly he'd do something about it –all her ex-boyfriends had been rather rash when she got hurt, some going to extreme lengths such as bashing the poor bloke's legs with metal rods until they were quite broken.

Or, she could pretend she hadn't heard him and their relationship would bend and fold in on it self. She certainly didn't want either of those options, and he presented a third when he spoke again.

"Has anything been done about it, at least?" Sesshoumaru asked softly, his golden eyes clashing with her light blue eyes. "Can you promise me that you'd tell me if it happens again?"

She smiled and tore her eyes away from his, resting her head on his shoulder. "Of course; no, it will not happen again either, but if it does I will tell you about it." When his arm snaked around her waist, her hand moved to cover his which rested lightly on her stomach. Her mind fluttered to the day they had met.

She had been waiting on his table almost a month ago; she'd been having a very bad day. She could honestly say it was one of the worst days she'd had at the restaurant.

She'd spilled coffee in one male customer's lap, dumped a salad in an elderly woman's wig, and tripped carrying a tray filled with soup, managing to soak six customers with tomato-and-pea soup before she'd even gotten to Sesshoumaru's table.

All of those customers had complained to the manager who worked that shift and she was on her last chance before she was fired. If one more customer complained, she would be sacked.

Sesshoumaru had been sitting in a booth with some of his fellow students who he'd been working on a project with and they'd been discussing some medical terminology when she came to get their orders, bearing a tray of four glasses and a pitcher of ice water.

Instead of managing to get the water into the cups, one of her fellow male workers who happened to not like her because she'd refused to date him had shoved her from behind. The ice water had ended up all over Sesshoumaru, not a single drop in any of the glasses she'd aimed for originally.

Sammy had clenched her fists, and just like many times before, had wondered why she ever left Relic. At least with Relic, she was safe from the world of hateful co-workers, vengeful bosses, and shrieking customers. She'd expected to get the boot then, but Sesshoumaru just sat there a moment and then spit something out in his hand. It was an ice cube.

"Wet dog!" One of his fellow students joked.

"Watch out, he might shake!" said the second, and all three of his student-partners laughed at him.

"Nice aim." Sesshoumaru had said to her, popping the ice cube back into his mouth. "At least it's only on my shirt. If you mind going to get us some fresh water, I'll deal with the other waiter after I eat." He had known about how her co-worker had shoved her.

Sammy's jaw had dropped when he had acted so casual about the whole thing. "What?" She asked her voice filled to the brim with incredulity. "Excuse me?"

He shrugged. "Well, I suppose if you have no water, I can wring out my shirt." His eyes were laughing yet his lips were in a serious straight line. His student-partners burst into another round of laughter and she felt her face flush transparent.

"Oh, we have... I'll be right back." She could hardly believe he was going to let her off the hook. She'd been moved shifts after that, working two pm to eleven pm. And things got better too because two days later, he'd come to find her and asked her out on a date.

"It was my intention to actually ask you out two days ago, but 'wet dog' is not a great first impression." He'd joked, sparing no expense to himself to bring her to his level. He wouldn't lower himself to another's level, he raised her own personal standards; or at least that was how she felt when she was talking to him. She felt level with a prince, not the other way around.

Sammy had stared at him then. "You saw me once and wanted to ask me out?" she'd asked him.

"Oh no." he promised her. "You served my table thirteen times before I got the nerve up." His smile had melted her heart. Was this true equality?

She'd wanted to ask him how a prince could get nervous, but then remembered he was only a man, whether he had silver or copper hair, blue eyes or gold eyes, human or demon; it didn't matter because everyone was the same in the end.

"Sesshoumaru..."

"Hmm?"

She felt him lifting her; simply cradling her to his chest as he walked towards her bedroom. Exhaustion swept through her as she noticed how tired she was. He laid her in her bed, fully aware that she was still in her day clothes.

"Thank you..." She didn't say I love you. She always said Thank you. It might only have been a month, but Sesshoumaru understood her quite well.

As he pulled the covers over her and lay next to her on the bed, staying above the covers, he whispered in her ear, "Thank you, too." He would wait there, watching her fall asleep, until it was time for him to head to work.

A smile spread across his face as he noticed the serene look on her face and he brushed an awkward curl out of her face that had escaped the bobby pins that held her hair in a firm bun almost all of the time.

Somehow, though he disliked it, the image of a girl named Kagome Higurashi poked into his mind. Just like the awkward coppery curl that had escaped its confines, Kagome Higurashi had a way of making sure he never forgot her, even if she apparently did nothing to encourage this behavior.

Sesshoumaru was gone when Sammy woke up, but she was not surprised. She was also not surprised that she was in her bed even if she didn't remember how she got there. If she fell asleep anywhere but in her bed and Sesshoumaru was with her, she always ended up in her bed, covered up but not in her pajamas – still in the previous day's outfit.

She went out into the kitchen to find Tea making a bowl of cereal in a bowl that was large enough to hold half a box of the Grim's Gram Cereal and over flowing with milk. "Oh, Tea. Why didn't you wake me?"

"You were asleep!" Tea said, as though it should have been obvious. She was as of yet unaware that the milk that was dripping to the floor was soaking Mr. Bear. He would have to be washed, and she would have a fit about it too.

A knock at the door made Sammy veer off course. She found a letter taped to the outside of the door and guessed it was a bill for the apartment. She found it wasn't when she opened the envelope. The penmanship was neat and curly, which meant that Mrs. Olivia Obit probably was the one to write it, but the fact was disregarded.

_Dear Sammy- _

_You have been late on the last four of your monthly payments. I understand you were working hard in two jobs, but I heard you quit your job yesterday at Sunset's Family Restaurant. This is not an eviction notice; it is in fact quite the opposite. _

_The apartment you currently reside in is a two bedroom apartment, with a loft that could be a third room if needed. I am going to be coming through the apartment at 12:30 PM with a potential renter. Please clean the apartment up before then if necessary. You may choose to be in the apartment or not at the appointed time. _

_Thanks- _

_Management _

_Rachis Obit _

Sammy sighed. She'd have to move everything of Tea's to the loft, no doubt, but she didn't want to. Perhaps she might be able to request that the person who would rent the apartment would take the loft? Oh, but what if they wanted a closed door? Or what if there were two? Tea might even have to move into Sammy's room.

The morning was spent wisely, for Sammy anyway. She cleaned up the spilled milk, then grabbed Mr. Bear and the dirty laundry basket and went down the hall to the laundry room that she shared with the other apartments on the floor and put the load of laundry in, making sure Tea did not see her put Mr. Bear in the laundry, and then flipped the Open—In Use sign on the laundry room door to In Use.

After that, she let Tea watch the morning cartoons while she swept and mopped the kitchen floor to make sure the milk was cleaned up.

After mopping, she vacuumed the carpeted floors, which included the living room and two bedrooms. She cleaned out the toilet and scrubbed the sink out, washing off the mirror even though it was perfectly fine, and then went to do dishes.

Relic would be coming at noon to pick up Tea, and since she quit her job at the Sunset's Family Restaurant, she didn't have to work until midnight yet. She had her first whole day free considering her job at Sara's Café gave her Monday nights off; thus why Sesshoumaru as able to just let her sleep.

Sammy was sure that if she asked Sesshoumaru, he would help her keep the apartment to herself, but she just couldn't bring herself to doing that. She knew what financial problems did to a relationship. She was just glad that he didn't ask more of her than she could do.

True to his word, Relic showed up at noon and picked up Tea. Twenty minutes after Relic left, Mr. Obit knocked on the door to the apartment.

She went and answered it, knowing that even if Mr. Obit's penmanship wasn't all that great, he was polite enough to knock to see if she'd decided to stay. "Good afternoon, Mr. Obit!" Sammy said brightly.

Whoever he was showing the apartment to was not within her line of vision, as walls do tend to be a barrier to human eyes, but still she stepped aside and allowed Mr. Obit to pass.

"Ah, Sammy, how are you?" Mr. Obit said waving the possible renter inside and following her in. "Oh that's good! Wonderful!" He had, as usual, not given her a chance to answer. He was a jumpy little man, slightly bow legged and flat footed.

He walked much like a duck, waddling here and there. He was bald, so it was easy to see the sweat on his head from shoveling snow off the sidewalks. Sammy's apartment was on the fifth floor, no elevator even for servicing, so he was quite probably also slightly exhausted from the walk up.

"Sammy, this is Kagome Higerush, the possible renter I told you about. Kagome, Miss Higerush, this is Sammy."

Kagome smiled at Sammy, recognizing her as the woman she'd helped from the restaurant. Sammy, on the other hand, was nervous because Kagome was the girl who had given her a check for five hundred dollars just so she'd quit her job, and if she couldn't get a job to replace it within two days had offered to pay her a salary and make her a full time worker in her business, whatever business that was.

"Sammy, do you have a last name?" Kagome asked, holding her hand out to shake Sammy's.

Sammy reached out and took the hand, knowing her hand would feel cold and clammy because of nerves. "Yes, but no one ever pronounces it right, so..." she trailed off and Kagome laughed and said, "It's the same with me. It's Higurashi, not Higerush."

Sammy relaxed a bit, noticing that Kagome was employing the same technique that Sesshoumaru did, not lowering to a level underneath her intelligence, but raising Sammy up to be level with her instead.

Sammy still had no idea how they could make someone feel so comfortable around them, but who knows? Maybe it was the strange moonlight-like eyes Kagome had, and the golden eyes of Sesshoumaru. Kagome's eyes were certainly weird; it looked like the stars actually lived inside the dark blue irises.

"My last name is Sahirah-Meneferphineas."

Again, Kagome laughed. "Well, you certainly have me beat I suppose, Miss Sahirah-Meneferphineas." She had pronounced her name right; had taken the time to think about the syllables and press them together in the right order. The name was a true tongue twister. "What origin is your name, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Egyptian. My mother was American; that's where I get my looks from, I suppose." It was so easy to talk with Kagome, once Kagome had brought her up to a level with her. Otherwise, Sammy knew she would have been a bumbling idiot at that very moment.

"Samantha Lapis Sahirah-Meneferphineas is my full name. My father's side of the family, when they got married, would combine names, so I have three generations of names to deal with. I suppose I can't complain though, because at least my father did not combine names with my mother. If he had, I would have been named something like, Samantha Lapis Sahirah-MeneferphineasAvariella-carrieann." She stuck her tongue out to show her distaste.

"I can only be grateful that it is not my name." Kagome glanced around the apartment, her eyes wandering to the stairs that led to the loft, following them up. "Is anything up there?"

"Oh good!" said Mr. Obit, glad to be back on track. He was tired of standing around listening to talk about names, but he was far too polite to say anything. "The apartment is a total of seven hundred dollars a month, but shared between the two of you it'd only be three-fifty a month each."

"Oh, no. I have a terrible fear of heights, so I've never gone up there." Sammy was hopeful. She was shamed to say she was.

"I see." Kagome climbed the circular stair and stood at the top of them, looking around. She saw a wide empty space and a closet on both ends of it. There were two sun roof windows, considering they were on the top floor if you didn't include the roof, and electronic shutters to cover the sun roof windows. The space was large enough that she would be able to have a desk, a bed, and if she was lucky she could fit a book shelf up there too.

She went back down to the floor level where Mr. Obit was rambling off details about the apartment and said, "I'll take the loft for half the rent."

Mr. Obit was taken aback. He hadn't expected an answer so soon, but at least now he would be able to get back in time to eat a late lunch. His stomach growled to echo his hungry thoughts and he imagined potatoes, turkey, stuffing, and carrots, all swimming in gravy.

"Oh, well, welcome here, Miss Higerush!" He said quickly. "Rent is due the First of every month." He shook Kagome's hand with his stubby little pug fingers and ducked a little bow to the two girls, then left them to their own devices, closing the door behind him.

"I've got a few calls to make." Kagome said, taking out her cell phone from one of her pant's baggy pockets.

"Oh, right." Sammy nodded. She wanted to call Sesshoumaru and tell him, but knew he would be sleeping so had to refrain herself. He would probably stop by that evening, as he had been doing lately, but still she was feeling light headed, like she had to talk to someone before she exploded.

For some reason, she felt like a great deal had just occurred, and that now something was going to change in her life. Whether it was for the better or worse, she had yet to conclude.

* * *

"I got it!" Souta said, racing Kohaku for the phone hanging on the wall in Souta's room near the door.

"No you don't!" Kohaku said, yanking on the back of Souta's shirt to drag him back. When Kohaku tripped over a notebook lying haphazardly on the floor, he ended up dragging Souta down with him.

Sango got up from the couch in Souta's room while Yuri giggled silently and was sure that as she walked to the phone, she stepped on the tumble of limbs that was her brother and soon-to-be brother.

She picked up the phone and said into the receiver, "You've reached Sunset Shrine Psychiatry"—Souta got up and glared at Sango; Kohaku's stare could have killed a fly dead in its tracks—"Sango Ichiro speaking, how may I service you?"

"Let me guess; a fight over the phone between a certain two eager to speak to me boys?" Kagome's voice was an annoyed drawl, considering it had been five rings before anyone picked up. "No, wait, don't answer that one. Kohaku is currently giving Souta a black eye and Souta is stomping on Kohaku's feet; am I correct?"

It was true, Sango noticed. "How do you do that?" Sango asked.

"I'm psychic. It runs in my blood."

"Liar." Sango turned away from watching Souta and Kohaku smash the heck out of each other and instead decided to watch Yuri tap her finger steadily on her knee. "So who do you want to talk to?"

"No one. Just tell mama that I won't be there for supper, will you? I have a bit of stuff to do; she'll understand me."

"Sure, no problem. That it?" Sango began picking at her nails.

"That's all."

"Sure, Kagome. Oh, and don't forget you have to get measured for the dress. Rin guessed the measurements and made room for error, but she still would like you to come by, just in case. I'll talk to you later then."

"Bye."

"Idiots." Sango muttered hanging up and walking over to Souta and Kohaku, separating them. "She didn't even want to talk to you two! Cut it out!" Yuri wrote on her marker board and held it up for Sango to read.

_No leave it, Sango. They're amusing! _

* * *

Kagome blinked at the mediocre apartment and felt a surge of pride burst inside her. She felt glad that she was doing this, just like when she created her little business that turned into a slightly larger than expected business. She needed furniture to fill it now, and she could easily get some comfortable furniture at a decent price.

"Miss Sahirah-Meneferphineas--" she started, but was cut off when Sammy said, "Please, just call me Sammy. I know already that my name is awkwardly long."

She started over again, nodding her ascent. "Alright. Sammy, are you free for a few hours?"

"Well, yeah. I have the whole day to myself, actually... was there something you needed?" Sammy was currently putting a pot of water on the stove, which she began to heat up. She bustled about the kitchen with ease, knowing simply what had to be done.

"I have to go furniture shopping before the evening is done if I'm going to have a bed, yet I have no sense of taste for what goes well together." She blushed.

To say Kagome wished she had taken some sort of design class in college would be a lie, because she had taken a design class and managed to fail it resplendently. Kagura still laughed at her for it. Kagura was the Queen of designing rooms so they matched and she hadn't needed a course on it. It was a natural born talent.

Kagome's sense of "Furniture fashion" was about a negative eight out of a one to ten scale.

Sammy smiled brightly, turning so suddenly to face Kagome that she almost spun a three sixty. "Oh, I love designing rooms! Of course, of course I'll go with you!" She blushed then and said, "I mean, if that's what you're asking..."

"Yes, it is." Kagome assured her.


	12. Twelfth Chapter

It took Kagome and Sammy three hours to drag the results of the shopping trip up the stairs and to the apartment. Both wondered why the building had no elevator and regretted the fact that it did not have one.

While wiping sweat off her brow from the constant straining effort of pulling the large box that contained the bed up the winding staircase on the way up to the fifth floor, Kagome groaned. "If I had a genie, I'd wish this damn box were up the stairs already." They had been dragging on the box for an hour already and were only just level with the entrance to the second floor.

"Two flights of stairs." Sammy wheezed. "I've never been so exhausted. I sort of wish my boyfriend were here to help." She leaned against the box for a moment and a group of teenagers walked around them on their way down. "I know he'd help if I ever got the guts to ask."

Kagome laughed quietly to herself because of the irony of Sammy's thoughts. She'd just been thinking about how she wished Kohaku were there to help, but unfortunately he was still in High School and had done something to land himself in detention.

Kagome looked up at the winding staircase and groaned. "Three more floors, Sammy." She said lightly. "Do you want to take the top for a while? I can labor the heavier side the rest of the way up."

Sammy nodded and they switched sides, Kagome wondering just what in her right mind made her agree to buy a loft for a bed. True, it would save space in the end, but it was wide and heavy and they were doing the work by themselves.

As they danced their way up the staircase, weaving from one side to the other as the weight of the box dragged them around, Sammy and Kagome both knew that getting the things up in the loft would be near impossible if not completely impossible.

There was only so much that two people could do. Twice Sammy tripped on the stairs, as walking backwards was a rather difficult feat to accomplish, especially when one was carrying half the weight of a loft bed.

Finally they managed to get the loft bed into the apartment and after setting it near the pile of the rest of the stuff, having brought in the lighter stuff in first, they collapsed on the floor trying to catch their breath.

"Get the door Sammy." Kagome joked, knowing very well that Sammy was as sore as she was and that obeying an order at the moment was the last thing a tired girl would do.

"Get the door Kagome." Sammy panted right back at her. She sniffed the air and made a face, reaching up to wipe sweat from her face. "I really need a shower."

As she began to stand up, Kagome muttered, "Did we lock the car?" She couldn't quite remember, but she figured that checking wouldn't hurt and with as hot as her skin was at the moment a bit of cold air would be a refreshing break.

When she received no answer, she looked at Sammy. Sammy was asleep, probably had worked her into and beyond the point of exhaustion.

She decided to just let Sammy get a bit of shuteye and went out of the apartment. She locked it with the key that Mr. Obit had given her and made her way towards the stairwell again. It took longer for her to get out of the apartment building than it should have because her legs felt like jelly and when she did get outside, she let herself fall onto the clean snow that littered the small yard. Her eyes stared unseeingly at the grey-white sky above and exhaustion took her over.

Not even the snow, which melted and soaked into her clothing, could keep her awake. Instead, it lulled her to sleep and made her feel like a nice blanket covered her body. She vaguely registered in her mind that she'd forgotten to check the car and make sure it was closed before drifting off.

* * *

"Where is my daughter?" She screamed at her servants. She was more than angry and was in no mood to tolerate insolence, especially when she was so much better than those who were born to serve and fate held no other purpose for. "Where is she? I demand you find her! She is my daughter, my daughter!!"

The servants subjected to her angry temper shook in their place. They were fearful of the woman who was so obsessed with the girl whom they thought was her child. They did not know that the insanity of the woman before them extended beyond reason. There was a point in which a person could never return from lunacy and the woman had crossed the invisible line many years before.

Her eyes were wide and bluer than the brightest blue crayon, purer than a sapphire. Her cheeks were rosy and her skin was a delicate crème color. Her raven black hair seemed to shimmer blue when the light hit it just right. The lips that moved when she screamed were as perfectly formed as her eyebrows were manicured, and they were a delicate pink color.

"Where is my daughter?" She shrieked and her long fingered, professionally manicured hand went up into the air and came down upon the face of one of her servants. Not a wrinkle marred her beauty, not an extra bit of fat marred her lithe form. She spoke in an exquisite soprano voice even if she ranted. "Find her! Find her now!"

The servants ran off as fast as they could to do her bidding. If there was any wish they could have granted, it was that the woman had never married their employer. If it weren't for the woman, they would have quit long ago but she'd ruined them all.

They were not "fit" for work anywhere else. She might have been a mad woman, but she knew everything she wanted to do still, mad or not.

The woman kicked her slipper off at the servants as they ran and a smile spread on her face. The cruel smile managed to make her even more beautiful and when the servants disappeared, she turned to the bookshelf upon which were a variety of different colored books.

There was a single black book on the shelf which she pulled off. She tossed it on the floor and reached into the hole left by the book, pressing a button installed specially behind that one space.

"My daughter... my dear... my precious pearl. I was going to bring you back, but something went wrong with my plans. Now I must again find you!" A person would wonder how the woman was so beautiful on the outside when she was so horrible on the inside but she didn't care.

The wall beside the bookshelf began to swing forward once she pressed the button and she entered the dark room that waited behind it. She closed the door to make sure no one would see to follow her.

She would hate to have to kill again. She'd already done so many. But she was careful when she did it. She made sure no one knew it was her. She knew if someone were to find out about her and what she was doing, everything would end and she would be locked up. That was why she must not let that happen. No one could know.

She flipped a switch on the wall and a whirring sound emitted from the center of the room. Shortly after that the lights came on and she giggled. There was her test subject, lying helplessly on the table. The little boy struggled to get free but by then it was a wonder to her why he didn't realize his efforts were fruitless.

"Oh dear child...dear child, won't mummy be sad to know you're being such a naughty, naughty boy?" She asked him, caressing his cheek with one long, bony finger.

She swiped at a tear and brought it to her eye level, giggling. "Oh, you naughty boy. Didn't I tell you not to cry?" She watched as his eyes filled yet again and emptied towards his temples, the droplets of salty water getting lost in his hair.

"I want to go home. I want my mum and dad." He cried, pulling on the restraints that held him fast to the metal table. Tears wrenched their way down the sides of his face. "I want my mum and dad!" his scream echoed through the room like the echo of a ripple on water.

She smiled and leaned down, kissing his forehead tenderly much like a mother. "Mummy is right here. Mummy wants you to be a good boy now. I am your mummy. Come now; call me mummy." She ran her fingers through his damp hair, one hand on his cheek wiping away his tears.

"You're not my mum." He choked out and turned his head, biting at her fingers.

She slapped him for trying to bite her. "You will call me mummy! Call me mummy!" He didn't understand the woman but she didn't care if he was too young to understand her pain. "Say it!"

He shook his head frantically. "Take me home! Let me go! I want my real mum! I don't want you!"

I shall remove his tongue for such insolence! She thought viciously as she moved to a cart that held surgical equipment of all kinds. She picked up a scapula and twisted open his mouth with her free hand. He tried biting her fingers, but then cried when she stabbed the scapula into his shoulder. His mouth came open in a scream and she dug in with the surgical knife, slicing his tongue off.

Blood pooled in his mouth and the boy began choking on it. She didn't want him to die. She'd done this before. She knew just what to do next. She untied him and he came willingly. She turned him over so the blood would fall from his mouth. So did the tongue.

Blue light flowed from her hand and into his mouth. It was her power of healing. She let enough of the power flow through her and into him so that the wound would close completely. She couldn't regenerate his tongue even if she wanted to.

Next she took the scapula and inserted it into his neck, dragging it around a bit yet being careful not to hit his main artery. She just wanted to destroy his voice box and make him stop screaming.

Blood spilled all over the clothes she and the boy wore yet finally his agonized cries died out and she was grateful that the walls were padded in thick cork. She healed the wound so he wouldn't die and the boy passed out from loss of blood. His tongue slid to the floor with the river of blood, making her laugh.

"You should have called me mummy." She told the sleeping boy in her arms and proceeded with him to the bath that was in the corner of the room. After filling it with water, she bathed the seven year old and herself together. As soon as they were both clean, she took him back to the center of the room and laid him on a clean table, tying him down before moving to clean up the mess.

She didn't bother to dress him, but she did put on her clean clothes. She turned on an android and gave it the order of cleaning up the blood before leaving the room with a vicious smile on her gorgeous face. Inside her mind she was already forming plans on how best to make the boy a Cyborg.

Of course, none of her subjects whom she'd tried to make into a Cyborg had lived, but she wasn't giving up. It was something she would accomplish.

A cackle escaped her mouth, one that was just as malicious as the smile she'd worn. She would never be caught, because she never made a mistake. The children whom had died at her hands, the blood she'd let run through her fingers only made her more willing to try again and again until at last she finally succeeded in making a Cyborg of her own that she could control. She replaced the black book on the shelf and exited the library.

She could keep the boy alive throughout the procedure with her power of course, but she felt that her error had been in using human children all this time. The boy was a demon. This would be her first experiment on demons.

She felt a rush of excitement race through her veins as she remembered the tongue that had flopped to the floor. It made her giggle. She almost couldn't wait for failure just so that she could do that to another child. She wanted to feel the blood running through her fingers again.

She wanted to feel the child's life force racing out of the child. The feel was precious to her and she knew nothing would take it away from her because no one would suspect her. No one would guess that she planned all of this herself.

Even if she was found out, she had plans in place to frame someone else... Someone she hated more than anyone.

* * *

"So where is this place?" Kagura asked Yusuke while they were parked in front of a building that read Corner Stone Bar and Grill. Kagura was driving the Rent-A-Car, Yusuke rode in the front passenger seat, and Hiei sat in back.

Kagura and Hiei had just arrived in Sunset late that day and had been following Kagome's instructions to the Shrine when on the way to the Shrine they had seen Yusuke walking and stopped to pick him up.

Yusuke had explained to them that he was on his way to Kagome's apartment since she had called him to help her move her stuff, but since he didn't have a car he had to walk and didn't feel like renting a car. The town was too packed to have everyone have a vehicle anyway and carpooling worked just fine.

Yusuke looked at the paper he'd written the address on and then cross referenced with the map he had folded in his large hooded sweatshirt. He looked at the street sign they were parked near and saw it read Ohanami road, then looked back at the instructions. "Well, if that street sign is any indication, we have to turn right."

He scratched his head for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, turn right onto Ohanami road and"—Kagura turned out into the traffic and turned onto Ohanami road—"then just go straight. She said the building is to the left of Ohanami Park."

"Are we there yet?" Hiei asked for the sixth time in the past twenty minutes. He was impatient, his third eye was drying out and required some attention, and he wanted to eat something before he began dry heaving from lack of food.

"No! Now shut up!" Kagura snapped just as Yusuke turned around in his seat and said, "I'm this close to smashing your face through the back window, Shorty!" To emphasize his words he put his fingers together to indicate just how close he was to seriously doing harm.

"Whatever." Hiei muttered and went back to staring out of the window. His third eye really hurt at the moment and if he didn't get moisture in it he knew he would begin to have some problems that would turn big quickly.

He clenched his right fist and watched in the light from the passing street lamps as the veins in it bunched and the muscles in his arm compressed together. He felt his muscles straining together. As the muscles tightened against each other, he felt pain shooting up and down his arm. He needed more than anything to find a mechanic who was good at their work.

A mechanic instead of a doctor, Hiei thought as his eyes moved back to watch the passing street lamps and buildings. I wonder how long until the band breaks?

* * *

When Kagome finally woke, it was because she was half frozen to death. The discomfort she felt was maximized by ten when she moved and found her entire body had cramped up. She groaned and forced her body to move as she wondered what might have possessed her to fall asleep in a snow drift when her original mission had just been to check and make sure the car was locked up.

"At least I had a coat on," she grumbled irritably, "or I might've gotten Pneumonia or an equally horrible"—she sneezed and felt her throat constrict momentarily before she sneezed again—"cold."

Quickly she dug herself out of the snow and felt her body creak and complain as she made her way in the cold air towards the car to make sure it was locked before heading into the apartment complex. She was soaked; her mother's coat was completely wet and generally wool and water didn't blend all that well.

She sneezed several times in the stairwell on her way up to the fifth floor and the apartment that waited her with an as of yet uncompleted bedroom. She'd called Yusuke to come help her build her bedroom and he'd said he'd come and leave Kagura and Hiei directions to her apartment which meant that Kagura and Hiei might also stop by to visit.

Sammy was busy in the kitchen when she entered the apartment. She had a large pot of chili cooking on the stove and the room smelled much like fresh homemade bread. The bathroom was beckoning to Kagome.

She thought a nice long bath would cure her sneezes, though she got the distinct feeling she wouldn't be sneezing if she hadn't fallen asleep in a snow bank like an idiot. Slipping her shoes off at the door, she took off the soaked coat and hung it up on a hanger and placed it in the coat closet in the entry way.

"Would you like some chili, Kagome?" Sammy asked as she wiped her hands on her apron. She beamed at Kagome for a moment before a dinging sound rang through the room and she had to turn her attention to the stove.

She took out a pan of fresh buns, perfectly browned, and began taking them off the tray and setting them in a basket. "My boyfriend is coming over in just a little while; I want you to meet him."

Kagome sneezed again and was barely in time to catch the sneeze in her hands. "Okay." She mumbled and another violent sneeze wracked her throat. "A few of my friends may be here in a little while too. There may be up to three of them." She trudged towards her suitcase, opening it to get out a towel, her bag of bathroom items, and her pajamas.

"I'll let them in." Sammy assured her, watching her for a moment. "You're taking a shower, I'm guessing?"

Kagome could only nod as another violent sneeze took her over though it didn't really look like she was nodding. She trudged on towards the bathroom, her legs frozen from so much snow and cold. The water felt like it was burning her frozen body and for a while she wasn't even sure if she wanted to get in or else be boiled to death.

She heard some commotion out in the living room but rather than paying too much attention to it, she just let the water lull her to sleep. When her body slipped under the water she didn't panic awake but she did wake up. Her eyes shot open and she formed gills on her neck so she wouldn't drown.

Some fish she knew had to constantly keep swimming, but thankfully she wasn't one of those fish. Technically she wasn't a fish at all; she was a shape shifter and that was very different.

Slowly she drifted to sleep again and her eyes closed.

"Catch me papa!" Kagome giggled from atop the monkey bars. She swung her arms out wide and waited for her father to look back at her. He'd been watching Kali at the time, but slowly he turned to give Kagome his full attention.

"Papa!" She launched herself from the top of the monkey bars, a high pitched giggle of excitement escaping her mouth.

"Whoa!" Naraku swung around and caught her at just the last moment and together they began laughing. "You're getting good at that, Kagome!" He told her. "Soon you won't need me to catch you. You'll land on your own two feet!" He planted a kiss on her forehead and she struggled to get away from him. She was still laughing.

"Lemme go, papa! I want to do it again!" He set her down and she began climbing the monkey bars just as she'd done before. She swung herself up to the top of them and looked down at her father who smiled up at her. "Ready papa?" she asked him.

"I'm ready!" He told her. Kali came and stepped up beside him, staring silently up at Kagome. "Jump! I'll catch you!" Naraku promised. Kagome jumped and Kali's face hardened with rage. Naraku began to raise his arms to catch Kagome, but Kali shoved Naraku aside.

"There's no one to catch you!" Kali hissed. "No one to catch you! Die, demon!"

Kagome watched the ground come closer and felt like everything was going slower than Real Time. Then she remembered she wasn't a little five year old any more. She was twenty-one years old. She was capable of taking care of herself.

Kagome sat up in the bath coughing up blood. Each time the blood spurted from her mouth, it hit the bath water with a plop and began spreading through the water like vines. Her mother was not like that. She knew her mother would never put her in harm no matter what she was; no matter if she was a half-demon like her father was.

She found she couldn't breath. It was because she had gills instead of lungs. Quickly she shaped her body back to the way it was supposed to be and stared at the blood dissipating through the water. She thought that the transformation was over two and a half years ago.

Determined to forget about the whole thing, she pulled the plug in the drain and stood from the bath. She hadn't really washed up but at least she was warmer and most of the sweat was off.

After using her towel to dry off, she dressed and ran her brush through her hair she felt lazy so she didn't bother to braid it. Aside from feeling lazy she felt frightened of the dream but that was something she wouldn't admit to anyone even herself.

She heard Kagura's voice out in the living room yelling at someone else; she guessed probably Yusuke because he had a tendency to annoy and get on Kagura's last nerves.

Kagura never really accepted Yusuke, though Kagome couldn't figure out why. Yusuke was just as persistent as she was, if not more on some things. In a way, Yusuke was nearly a male copy of a certain wind sorceress, except the fact that he was gay.

That brought to mind the day Kagome and Yusuke had arrived in Sunset though. First they had nearly had sexual intercourse with one another and second Yusuke had proven he hadn't just been playing around earlier when he'd kissed her. Kagome had chosen to ignore him for the time being, but he wasn't easily forgotten.

He was far too good at what he did and she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. He made her think she had feelings for him while it was going on, but then afterwards she regretted it because she knew she didn't care for him that way.

It had never been that way with Kohaku. Kohaku didn't press her to do something. That wasn't to say that Yusuke was forcing himself on her, but perhaps that he didn't realize just how good he was at doing what he did.

Kagome forced those odd thoughts out of her head. She was back with Kohaku anyway, and she knew that Yusuke at least had the dignity not to interfere. She wrapped her things up in her towel and exited the bathroom. Upon opening the door, Kagura's voice was amplified and she could hear exactly what she was saying.

"—not to be ordered around like some common house pet!"

"Fay, calm down." Hiei was saying repeatedly. Kagome made her way towards the voices and what she saw was the back of a silver haired head and her three friends facing her direction.

Yusuke and Hiei had noticed her, but Kagura was staring so fiercely at the silver haired person that if looks could kill the person would have been dead ten times over. Yusuke had a vice like grip on Kagura's arm and wasn't letting go even though Kagura was digging into his hand with her claws trying to peel him away.

"Let me go, Yusuke." She demanded angrily.

Kagome walked forward with her arms full with the wet towel and dirty clothes. "What's going on here?" she asked as she looked at the island counter. Sammy didn't appear to be very upset about the shouting. She just continued to set the counter with silverware.

"They're fighting." Sammy informed her.

Kagome chuckled. "Thank you Captain Obvious." She eyed the back of the silver haired person's head and a thought came to her mind. It made her curious. "Nokugami?" she questioned. She thought it was Inuyasha, but apparently she was wrong.

Yusuke grabbed a pair of socks from Kagome's suitcase and had jammed it into Kagura's mouth; Kagura was busy making hacking sounds and wiping her tongue on her hand trying to get sock fuzz from her mouth; Hiei was staring at Yusuke like he'd like nothing more than to pound the brown eyed twenty four year old but was holding back.

Sesshoumaru turned around, a quirk to his eyebrow as he looked at Kagome giving her a once-over. Then he cracked a large grin and nodded to her. "Higurashi; interesting pajamas." He told her. Perhaps it was the voice he used when he said it, but there was definitely something that set her on edge.

"Blow me." Kagome growled. She did not like the side of Sesshoumaru that she was seeing, or perhaps she liked it and didn't realize it yet, but either way it was irritating her that he kept changing on her. Three years ago the Sesshoumaru she had known would probably have chosen to keep his mouth shut and not say a single thing.

So what if she was wearing white pajamas that had little monkeys all over it with the words Sock Monkey above each little guy? They were her favorite pajamas and she wasn't getting rid of them. Kagura had given them to her for Christmas and she loved he silk feel against her skin.

Sesshoumaru walked by her, stopping only briefly to whisper in her ear low so no one else could hear. "Gladly." It was all he said to her, but it set her face to flames.

"Come eat." Sammy told Kagome and her friends. Kagome was suddenly no longer hungry. She shoved her things into her suitcase and zipped it up, picking it up and beginning to drag it up to the loft. "Kagome?" Sammy called, but Kagome was too embarrassed to answer.

Perhaps she had created a monster when she hired Medallion to give the Nokugami boys more confidence in who they were because for her the Sesshoumaru who had just spoken in her ear was no good thing.

"What did you say to her?" Hiei asked Sesshoumaru, but he wouldn't answer. His face was straight and he was unresponsive. Hiei, Kagura, and Yusuke sat down to eat. All three knew that if Kagome were hungry she would join them. Sammy didn't know, but she wasn't about to climb into the loft. Her fear of heights held her back.

Kagura was still seething, but the sock-in-the-mouth trick that Yusuke had pulled on her made her angrier at Yusuke than she'd been at Sesshoumaru for telling her what to do the month before. "You jerk." She snapped at him. As soon as they got out to the car and she had her fan, she was going to teach him quite the lesson in pain.

Kagome couldn't believe of all her bad luck, she had to choose an apartment that housed the girlfriend of the Ice Prince. Perhaps it wasn't too late to go back and live with her mother?

As it was, she knew she would have a very difficult time finding an apartment in the city. She'd checked all the available apartments and they were all in such a state of disrepair it was a surprise they weren't demolished to make way for new apartments.

She sighed and opened her suitcase, reaching in to pull out her photo frame of her and Kohaku. She ran her fingers over Kohaku's face and felt a smile tug her cheeks. He was a special man.

"I can't stay long." She heard Sesshoumaru tell Sammy. "I left a few books that I need at the college and I have to work early tonight—"

She tuned him out. She didn't want to hear him. He confused her. A month ago he had acted so cold like he didn't still crush on her, and now he was acting like he still liked her.

The real question of the matter, though, was why did she get so irritated at the sight of him? She should have expected this, as life had a cute little way of shitting on her all the time. This wasn't any different. She had overreacted and she knew it.

* * *

_August, 2997 _

_"Rainy! Hello? Anyone in there?" Yuri giggled, waving a hand in front of her only friend's face. "Come on, Rainy. Smile! You look absolutely dead!" _

_Raine glared playfully at Yuri. "That's because I am dead!" she joked. She looked at herself in the mirrored wall of the practice room where the students of the Serenity Ballet Academy were waiting and frowned even deeper. "Actually, I'm just rather tired. I am not sure why, but I just have this bad feeling." _

_"Stage fright." Yuri answered instantly. "You should be used to it. No one will see your face up on stage, you know." Yuri pulled herself up onto the points of her ballet shoes and twirled around her friend, her blue tutu spinning in circles around her body. _

_Yuri was the ballerina in the production, which was the star female of a ballet. Raine was a danseuse, which was just a regular dancer. _

_"Oh, I know I should be used to it." Raine sighed. "It's just that I've got this feeling that something is going to happen and it's going to be really bad. Like, what if I fall right off the stage?" _

_She pulled lightly on her black bun and a small clump of hair fell out of it into freedom. "Erg!" Frustrated, she tried to fix it but it only got worse. _

_Yuri stopped twirling in circles and walked over to help Raine fix her bun. As usual, Yuri's silver hair was in a perfect bun with nothing to say she was only a thirteen year old. She could have passed for someone much older if she tried, Raine was sure. _

_It was because Yuri gave off the air of maturity. The two green lines on her cheeks traced her cheek bone delicately and the dark blue crescent-shaped marking on her forehead stood out regally against her pale skin. Her bright, honey colored eyes were filled with secrets that would never be told. _

_"There you go." Yuri hugged Raine. "It's stage fright. Its okay; we'll do just fine. I promise you we'll knock the socks off the crowd!" _

_"You're so confident. I wish I had your confidence." _

Raine woke with a start when a hand shook on her shoulder. Instantly the dream was demolished from her mind and she couldn't remember it. "Okuna! Hey, Okuna, wake up!" She looked around for a moment to gather her bearings and found she was sitting at a table in the library.

Her work was spread all around her and apparently she'd been working on it when she fell asleep, or at least that was the indication she got when she saw that she had ink blots all over her hand. She looked up at the person who had woken her up and found it to be Sesshoumaru Nokugami.

"Sorry, did you need the spot?" she muttered, yawning.

"No. The janitor wants to lock the school up." Sesshoumaru looked at Raine with small concern on his face. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

"Yeah, sure. Sure." She told him though not even she could believe her words. As she stood she began gathering up her things, carefully piling it into her backpack. "Time passes so...fast."

Her words were interrupted with another yawn and she tripped on the chair, falling right into Sesshoumaru. He steadied her, grabbing her by the shoulders and making sure she had proper footing before releasing her. "Don't...don't touch me you flirt." She grumbled.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Sesshoumaru asked her once more. "You look really hot." It wasn't until he'd said it that he'd realized how bad that sounded. Her eyebrows rose into her hairline and he tried to fix his mistake. "I meant to say that you look really warm, as in your temperature is making you look like you just ran a mile."

"I've...been working some long hours." She finished lamely. She looked at the floor for a moment before looking at Sesshoumaru again. There were some things she wanted to tell someone but she knew she couldn't tell Relic.

Relic was a Seed for the SPD, and if some of the things she'd been doing were to get back to the police, she would seriously be screwed up the high end. "Can I ask you something?" She also couldn't tell Rin because Rin wasn't interested in hearing about the technology.

"You just did, but sure you can ask me another something." He grinned at her and then looked at his watch. "Mind if we head towards the exit while you ask?"

Raine pulled her backpack on and shook her head. She and Sesshoumaru began walking then, and she posed her question in the way she felt he might best understand.

"Have you ever heard of Cybernetic Evolution?" When he gave a slight shake of his head, she continued. "It's basically what is called when something such as an android gets A.R.T. By that, I'm talking about Artificial Resourcefulness in Tangibility."

He ran a hand through his long hair and sighed. "I'm going to be a doctor, not some computer genius." He informed her and she waved his complaint off.

"Why not just call it art? Wouldn't it just be easier if you did rather than spelling out the letters? By the time you've spelled out the letters it would have been quicker just to say what you were trying to say."

"No, because then it might have been confused with the meaning of the word art." Another giant yawn captured her in its grasp and even though they were walking the cold school temperature did nothing to wake her.

She stopped at a stairwell and he stopped with her, giving her a curious look. "A.R.T. is something scientists have been working on for over a decade now and they have been unable to create it."

"Does this have a point?" Again his hand went through his hair and Raine noticed that when he was getting agitated he tended to sigh and run his fingers through his hair much like when Relic was bored or frustrated. "Because I do have to work tonight."

"Oh keep your pants on, Nokugami. We're both people of the same profession, so I can understand you want to rush off to the hospital. I, too, have to work tonight." The fact that Raine had also gone through college to be a doctor as well as a mechanic-slash-computer scientist wasn't exactly common knowledge, but it was how she knew the human body so well; for Rin's sake she had to know the medical terminology and how the human body worked.

If Rin needed an operation to replace any parts, not just anyone would be able to do it. It took special knowledge to know what you could do without causing Rin's death and Raine wasn't going to take any chances if a part broke down.

"Okuna, will you just—"

Raine interrupted Sesshoumaru by placing her finger to his lips and pointing to the door directly across from the stairs they stood by. It was the exit that he found himself facing when he looked. "My point, Nokugami, is that I have created A.R.T. and I just felt like telling someone. It is a marvelous thing of beauty."

* * *

Sesshoumaru was left wondering as she left him at the base of the stairs to exit the college and enter the world of night why in the world he attracted all the weird women. I'm like a magnet, he thought as he left and headed for his car. His eyes searched around for her and he saw her waiting at the transit bus stop.

For a moment he thought about offering her a ride home and then he shook himself. He didn't owe her anything, he had no obligation towards her, and he was late for work because of her. How she got home wasn't his concern, and if it took her well over an hour's worth of riding a bus to get home that was her problem not his.

He got into his car and started the vehicle, driving home. When he got home, he quickly got ready for work and set off on his walk to the hospital. So much for getting to work early.

The bitter thought drained all emotion from his face and he knew that he would be unable to visit his father that night. It didn't bother him that he wouldn't be able to visit his father but some underlying tone in his mind made him guess that something bad was going to happen.

The worst thing he could think of happening would be his father getting out of the hospital and coming home.

* * *

"Please no! Kaede run! Get out of here, don't just stand there!" Kikyou yelled, but Kaede did not run in the dream. She stood rooted to the spot while the man in the black trench coat came closer with the gun.

He shot; pulled back the trigger and the hammer sent the bullet flying with the help of the primer. The casing flew away from the gun just as Kaede dropped to the ground, blood spilling from the bullet wound dug deep in her forehead.

Her body dropped directly next to her mother and father's body. Her Grandmother Gytha's body wasn't too far away from that.

The man in the trench coat laughed and the sound of it sent shivers through Kikyou's petrified body. He aimed for Kikyou and shot the bullet; the hammer pierced the primer and sent the bullet soaring through the air towards Kikyou. She was too afraid to move out of the path of the dangerous killing device and the force of the bullet sent her tumbling back into the wall behind her.

He's toying with me! The ridiculous thought came just as the bullet entered her shoulder, grinding through muscle and bone to come out the other side and smash into the wall. This wasn't how it had happened! This is a dream! This is my world; I control my dreams!

The man in the black trench coat hadn't only used four bullets to kill four people. The gun only had seven bullets to a magazine clip; two were used to kill her father, one killed her mother, and three were wasted on the walls trying to kill the frantic daughters of Guy and Floe Motshuria.

The final bullet had penetrated Kikyou's shoulder because she had been trying to protect Kaede from the bullet that would have killed the younger sister.

Grandmother Gytha had not been there. Grandmother Gytha was not dead. Kaede was not dead. Kikyou had saved Kaede, and the two girls had run as fast as they could to get away from their parents' killer.

The only reason they did get away was because their father had not been quite dead after the first bullet and had grabbed the man's leg, stopping him from proceeding further until the shot that ended his life pierced his skull through his eyeball socket.

Her hand went to keep the blood from rushing out of her body but she couldn't help but wonder if this would be the time she lost. Would the man in the trench coat get her this time? What did he look like behind that ski mask? What color eyes were hidden behind those large black ski goggles?

There were two more bullets left and if she didn't get moving she would be as dead as the rest of her family. Strangely enough, though, she found she really didn't care. She was tortured every night by the man in the trench coat; why not end her suffering finally?

The trigger was pulled. The hammer went back. The trigger tripped the latch. The hammer swung in and hit the primer. The primer exploded and released the bullet from the casing.

Kikyou screamed at the top of her lungs as the second bullet drove into her shoulder, same place, through her hand. "MOMMY!"

"Kikyou! Kikyou, wake up!" Kaede shook her sister until she woke up and then slapped her when the shaking proved fruitless. "Wake up! Wake up now!" Kikyou stared at Kaede as though the younger girl was a foreign being and she couldn't understand a word she was saying.

To say that Kaede was unhappy would be the understatement of the century. Kaede had always disliked Kikyou and being woken up in the middle of the night by a person who she didn't like only served to drive her temper further up than it already was by nature.

She marched down the hall, her feet light on the floor from habit, making no noise. Grandmother Gytha had always disapproved of excessive noise and clutter. Kaede and Kikyou had learned that very quickly upon coming to live with the elderly woman in Sunset.

Her intention was to tell Grandmother Gytha about Kikyou screaming at night again and getting Kikyou into trouble. When she neared her Grandmother's bedroom, her fists were clenching and unclenching.

She couldn't help but feel good about how funny it would be to tell all her friends at school that Kikyou was acting like a baby again, screaming at night all because of a dream.

She stopped dead in her tracks when she heard voices. She was grateful she was never allowed to storm about the house or she might have missed the quiet sounds. Instinct told her to stay away, but she was curious.

Her Grandmother was a widow and that second voice was clearly male. What was a male doing in her Grandmother's bed chambers at two in the morning?

She noticed that the door was slightly ajar and the light coming from inside wove its way out into the hall to toy with the wall opposite it. As carefully as she could she positioned herself so she could peek into the room and she couldn't understand what she saw but she knew enough to be scared of it. The scene was lain out like a cut directly from a horror movie.

Her Grandmother was walking around a man who was tied to a chair with a gun in her hand and a vicious look on her face. Kaede couldn't recognize the man but surrounding him were at least six or seven men with guns in shoulder holsters.

Police badges adorned the waists of several of the men that Kaede could see and she recalled that her Grandmother Gytha was a police woman before she became Mayor of Sunset.

There were tear streams sliding down the captive man's face and Kaede felt very much like running away. She knew the scene was not something she was supposed to see and everyone expected her to be asleep but when you share a room with a girl who screams in the night because of nightmares, sleep was often hard to come by.

"Who did you speak to?" Gytha said angrily. Kaede couldn't recall a time when Gytha had ever gotten so mad that a vein stuck precariously out of her neck.

Curiosity kept her rooted to the spot as the man stuttered an answer. "I swear I didn't speak to anyone!" the man choked out. "Please don't kill me; I have a wife and family!" He was shaking badly in his seat and looked like he might have wet his pants. The fear in his voice only served to make Kaede more apprehensive.

"You spoke to someone in the Decoloratio Venalicium!" Gytha yelled at him, her voice raising yet another octave as she brought the butt of the pistol down on the man's face. The force would have knocked him right off the chair had he not been tied to it. "Admit it! You were speaking to a woman named Kitty!"

Kaede jumped when the man was hit, but years of habit kept her from making a sound as she watched the horror film unfold before her. The vague thought surfaced in her mind of who or what the Decoloratio Venalicium was and who in their right mind would name their child 'Kitty' but she had to drag herself away from examining that thought so she could continue watching what was happening.

"I swear I didn't speak to anyone!" The man repeated getting louder by the minute, but apparently that was the wrong answer. Gytha had stopped in front of the man and now her arm came up, dragging the gun up with it.

The barrel was aimed right at the man's forehead and even from the distance Kaede was at, she could see Gytha's finger pulling on the trigger. "Please!" the man cried, "Please believe me! I didn't talk to"—the trigger was pulled and Kaede had to clap her hands to her mouth to keep from screaming out in terror.

The cold look on Gytha's face made Kaede realize she didn't really know her Grandmother as well as she had once thought. She knew she had to get away. Curiosity had just made her see something that she never should have seen.

Her foot slipped on the carpeted flooring of the hall and she knocked into the ajar door, making it slam open. Several of the people in the room jumped, not having expected that, and she quickly got up and raced away from the door as fast as she could.

Kaede now understood why Kikyou had nightmares over their parents' deaths. She felt bad about the hell she had put Kikyou through all that time. "Get her and bring her to me!" Gytha's voice trailed after her.

Kaede was very grateful for all the running she had to do from Public School bullies these days. Since Kagome Higurashi had left, bullies had begun to appear more and more in the Private School District and Kaede was one of the favorites lately. It was probably because she was the Mayor's granddaughter but she didn't want to be related to the Mayor anymore.

The fatter of the 'henchmen' that were chasing her ran out of steam rather quickly, but there were two that were thin and lethal to her because they could keep up with her. She chanced a look behind her and saw that they were nearly caught up to her. They didn't shoot at her most likely because bullet holes in the wall would be questionable but they were police so why would they care if they shot at her? Or at least that was what their badges suggested anyway.

She felt panic take her over and knew that if she didn't hurry she would be as dead as the man who was tied to the chair in Grandmother's bedchambers. It was obvious why it had occurred in the bedroom versus taking place in the Mayor's office. There were security cameras all over the house. The only room there weren't security cameras was in Gytha's bedroom.

As she ran, she felt a ball of panic filing her insides and it curled and uncurled. She felt her skin burning in pure agony and the feeling shocked her badly. She tripped and the momentum of her previous speed sent her sailing into the wall.

When she braced herself for an impact that would probably break several of her ribs, she found herself transparent and could see right through her hand as though it weren't there. She never hit the wall; she went right through it and crashed instead into the standing lamp that was on the other side of the wall.

She had no time to think about what had just occurred and instead passed it off as a miracle by her faith in God that had given her more chance to escape safely. She scrambled to her feet to continue running and found that she was no longer transparent.

Again she threw thoughts away and dashed out of the room and down the hall. The men, unless God decided to hand her over to the Devil, would be unable to ghost through the wall and would have to go all the way around. If she guessed right, that would give her three extra minutes even if they were running.

She had to get Kikyou. She'd been far to cruel to Kikyou for the past nine years since their parents' murder and now she had a chance to try to rectify herself to her sister. Kikyou had saved her life nine years ago, taking a bullet for her; Kaede couldn't just leave Kikyou to someone as horrible as Gytha, who obviously had no qualms with killing a man in cold blood.

She threw open their bedroom door and Kikyou shot up in bed. "Get up, Kikyou! Get up now!" As usual when something bad was going on, she found herself thinking inappropriate thoughts like how her favorite actor's voice would have sounded saying that, but she had less than two minutes to get Kikyou to start running. "Come on, we have to go!"

"Why?" Kikyou began to slowly pull on her slippers but Kaede wasn't going to wait any longer. It was obvious Kikyou was unaware of the rush they were in. Any second, those men would come into hearing distance and would know where they were. They probably already knew because of walky-talkies and communication channels on them, as well as the security camera that was staring down at Kaede and Kikyou as they spoke.

"Just get your ass up and move!" She was in too much of a hurry to care if she swore or not She rushed to the window and threw it open. They were on the second floor, but that wasn't at all a problem for Kaede. Kikyou was afraid of heights though. "NOW!" she yelled and Kikyou gave her a confused look.

"I'm not climbing down that to go to one of your stupid parties and be humiliated again!" Kikyou said firmly. "Just go back to bed!"

Kaede wasn't sure if she would ever get back to sleep after what she had witnessed. She grabbed Kikyou's arm and drug on it. "Listen to me!" she hissed. "I'm trying to save you like you did for me! Get out that window!"

"Oh how precious. Then I suppose it's too bad you're both about to die." A voice said from the doorway. The girls' heads spun about and they could see the shape of a man in the doorway. The nightlight in the room did nothing to illuminate his face, but it did reflect off the gun in his hand.

When he fired, he shot first at Kaede but Kikyou shoved the younger girl out of the way, just as she had done so many years before when the man in the trench coat had shot at Kaede. Kaede felt bad. She was trying to save Kikyou, but Kikyou ended up saving her again.

The bullet hit the wood wall and a sliver of it broke off. Kaede felt something pierce her left eye and blood began to drain down her face like tears. She fell backwards out the window and just barely managed to catch onto the drain pipe about half way down. Her arm popped out of the socket, but she refused to let the pipe go no matter what.

She heard a scream, but it wasn't the scream of Kikyou. It was clearly male and Kaede saw out of her one good eye that Kikyou was clambering out of the window even though her fear of heights was probably capturing her.

Despite the pain she felt at the moment, Kaede began to climb down the drain pipe and fell to her knees at the bottom of it. She was losing a lot of blood and that was no good thing. She could only see out of one eye which made her peripheral vision one sided.

Kikyou helped her to her feet. "Come on! We have to go!"

They ran barefooted through the snow, Kikyou supporting much of Kaede's weight, trying to find some place where they could find refuge away from Gytha and the dangerous men. Kaede didn't know that Kikyou had just drove a letter opener into the man's stomach and if she had a choice to know or not, she would prefer not to know.

They were running for nearly a mile when they came upon a small bridge that crossed the Mill River. Kikyou knew that if they continued for two more miles they would make it to Rin's house, but she didn't want to risk Kaede losing any more blood. "Come on, let's get under the bridge and I can see to your eye."

The healing power that Kikyou possessed wasn't often used, but Kikyou had learned about it nine years before when she was bleeding everywhere because of the wound to her shoulder made by a bullet. The sliver of wood was large and jutted out of Kaede's eye.

It was easily pulled out, but Kaede nearly passed out because of the pain it caused her. As Kikyou's power of healing cooled and scarred the damage, Kikyou knew that she would be unable to make it so that Kaede would see through that eye ever again. She could only do so much with her meager power.

They vaguely recognized the irony of the entire situation. It had been just as snowy out when their parents were killed, and they had been running in just their pajamas then too. The only difference was that this time it was Kaede who had been hurt.

"My shoulder... I think it's dislocated." Kaede gasped when Kikyou automatically moved to pull it back into place. It hurt slightly less when it was put back into place, but Kaede couldn't go on anymore. She'd lost too much blood. They were leaving a trail of blood behind them because of it.

Kikyou knew they couldn't stay where they were. She shouldered her sister piggyback and began walking for Rin's house. She was grateful for Rin being so close but she did hope that Rin wouldn't call her Grandmother.

Whatever Kaede had seen had to have been bad. "I'm trying to save you like you did for me! Get out that window!"

The cold weather on her bare feet and the hard gravel road wore Kikyou's feet raw on the walk to Rin's house, but at least they weren't leaving a trail of blood anymore considering all the blood instead was going onto Kikyou rather than the ground and snow. She had to walk in the road where it was semi-plowed or else risk leaving foot prints to alert to where she and Kaede had gone.

It took a surprisingly short amount of time for Kikyou to make the walk but by the time she was at Rin's house, she felt half frozen and the wind chill kept dropping by the minute.

By the time she was knocking on the door, the snow had begun to fall and the wind gusts were strong enough to bury any foot prints they had left in minutes. It was well after midnight she was sure, but this was an emergency. She hoped someone, anyone, was home.

The door opened, revealing Rin standing in the way, looking rather tired. Her eyes were instantly opened the moment she saw Kikyou's state of duress and she opened the door wide. "Come in." She said calmly, not at all affected by the blood frozen to Kikyou and Kaede.

"We're in some serious trouble, Rin. We'll go away if you want." Kikyou blurted out.

"Raine?" Rin called down the stairs that had been hidden behind a door. It was obviously the way to the basement. "Please, sit down. You do not look fit to be standing all the while it will take Raine to get up here." Rin's twin was already heading up the stairs as Kikyou pulled Kaede off her back, feeling the bloody ice that had glued their clothes together begin to chip.

Raine didn't seem very affected by the blood either as she looked at Kikyou and Kaede, but she seemed to understand Kikyou's situation a bit. "Where are your parents?" Kikyou asked nervously. She didn't feel like she could trust adults at the moment and she hoped against all hopes that they weren't there.

"They went on vacation in West City." Raine said. "They're not here. It's just Rin and me for the time being. What happened to you?"

"I'm not really sure, but I think Kaede saw something that she really wasn't supposed to and now there are some dangerous men after us. We'll go away if you want."

"Oh shut up." Raine said irritably. "You're in no fit state to be traveling. Rin, can you pick up the girl and take her downstairs?" When Rin nodded and moved to pick up Kaede, Raine looked directly at Kikyou. "You're welcome here in this house, so long as you can keep your mouth shut. Come down into the basement."

Kikyou followed Raine down into the basement and found herself in a sewing room. Rin was setting Kaede on a dentist-like chair in another room and Raine beckoned her to follow. What she saw, she somehow found both amazing and curious and at the same time she felt like she should have known that Rin's room would look like a metal jungle. Rin was a Cyborg, after all.

"You will have to hold her down, Kikyou." Rin told her, indicating Kaede sitting on the metal dentist chair. The chair was moving horizontal and reclining back.

"Why?" The night was becoming a blur. Things were happening to fast for comfort and she wasn't sure if she liked that fact but she moved closer to Kaede and placed her hands firmly upon her sister's shoulders.

Raine was inserting a needle into Kaede's arm right into the vein. The tube connected to the needle was filled with a dark colored liquid, though Kikyou could no longer register her thoughts properly and it was hard to imagine what that dark red liquid could possibly be. She couldn't even understand why Raine was inserting the needle into Kaede. Kaede was just fine!

She felt herself falling inside her mind. Once more she was returning to her happy place. Nine years ago she had created a place inside her mind that she could escape to when she was too frightened, and now that was where she was going. She had lived through the scary part, and now time was catching up with her.

"Mommy..." she cried, releasing Kaede and falling to her knees. "Mommy, it's happening again." She felt like a little child. She wanted to be held in her mother's arms and told that everything would be okay when she woke up again. She didn't want to live the horror that seemed to be her life. Did bad fate have a hand on her? Or was God just being cruel?

* * *

Kanna hugged her backpack close to her body and shivered out in the cold. It was snowing in Raspuit and school had gotten out early because of that. Her foster mother was supposed to be coming to get her, but Kanna was becoming dubious rather quickly.

She'd been standing in the freezing winter air by herself for over two hours and she was quickly feeling the effects of drowsiness biting at her heels. She wanted to sit down but was afraid that if she did she'd be lost in the snow.

She wondered in the deepest recesses of her mind what in the world she'd been thinking when she'd told her foster mother she didn't need her snow pants that day. She should have listened to her foster father when he protested her wearing her favorite white dress to school.

"You'll be cold and very sorry," he'd told the fifteen year old girl. She was more miserable for not listening.

She couldn't help but wonder if she was being punished by the late appearance of her foster mother, however ridiculous that seemed at first. When she thought about that again though, she realized it wasn't possible. Her foster mother was incapable of any harmful thoughts.

That too seemed a first-rate subject to being ripped to shreds by debaters. No human, or demon for that matter, was completely capable of admitting honestly to never having negative thoughts.

Kanna knew she had bad thoughts. She wasn't going to lie about herself even if she would lie about her mother having bad thoughts. "I'm cold." Kanna whispered to the falling snow.

The white dress shoes she wore had hollows so her feet were pretty completely bare, the hem of her dress only went down as far as past her knees and she'd been standing stock still for those two hours so her feet were surrounded in a foot of snow. Her white coat matched the color of the snow and her pure white long hair blew in the wind.

Her bare legs were the coldest on her body though. Not even her hands which were turning blue beat the cold of two feet surrounded in a foot of snow. She sneezed suddenly and her throat constricted tightly.

"Great; I've caught a cold." She said with false cheer. She decided she wasn't going to wait any more. It wasn't too far of a walk to her home and the parlor was just on the way so she would easily be able to stop there for a few moments and warm up.

As she slogged through thickening depths of snow on the sidewalk, she saw there were quite a few accidents around the streets. The snow had caused slick roads and there was a four car pile-up two blocks from the parlor.

There was a car that had slid on the road to crash into a light post totaling the car. The final accident she saw before she made it to the parlor was a car that seemed to have slipped on an icy patch and ran in through the wall of the unfortunate building.

Hoping no one was hurt but having serious doubts that everyone escaped unscathed; she sneezed and entered the hair parlor. The door made a tinkling noise as the bell hooked to the top of it felt the vibration and acted upon it. "No no!" she heard a crotchety old woman say irritably. "Not there! Must an old woman do everything herself?"

"Sorry." The young lady mumbled apologetically and stepped aside as Miss Nina -the owner of the parlor- took the small painting and hung it on a hook on the wall opposite where the young lady was going to put it.

"Now, hurry along!" Miss Nina told the young lady who scurried off to do whatever was expected of her. Miss Nina turned to Kanna and when she saw that it was she who came in, a bright smile crossed her face. "Kanna! I have not seen you in a while. I take it you decided to grow your hair out these days, hmm?"

Kanna nodded silently and a sneeze racked her petite form; Miss Nina took note of her state of dress, or rather undress. "Kanna, you silly thing! You're wearing a dress on a day like today? Come here, dear girl! Let us get you something warmer! And some hot chocolate will cure those sniffles, I'm sure!"

As Kanna walked over by Miss Nina, the elderly woman called out to the young lady from before to mind the parlor though the young fifteen year old had the strangest suspicion that no one would want a hair cut that day.

Miss Nina led Kanna into the back room; Kanna had been back there many times. It was basically Miss Nina's living quarters. There was a stove, a sink, a small table, a bed, and a dresser. Two chairs sat pushed in by the table.

The restroom was in a second room off the back room and it was incredibly small housing only a standing shower. Miss Nina had to use the restroom for the shop if she wanted to go to the bathroom.

"Sit down, Kanna." Kanna sat down, shivering, and deposited her bag on the floor under the table so it was out of the way. Despite the fact that she was still wearing her shoes and coat, Miss Nina obviously didn't mind or else didn't think the frozen girl would be able to remove the shoes without losing her icy feet as well, Miss Nina draped a warm blanket around the girl's shoulders and she sneezed.

"Thank you, Miss Nina. My mom didn't come to get me at school." In three years, Kanna had gone from being a boisterous chatter box to something much like a quiet reserved person.

She supposed three years of being called "Whitey" had done that to her, but instead of calling her whitey at school, the students had recently taken to calling her "Void" instead because she often gave the students who bothered her a blank stare until they were unnerved and stopped.

"You don't need to thank me!" Miss Nina said without a moment's hesitation. "Let me warm up some hot cocoa; unless of course you want something stronger?" Miss Nina asked after a moment. "I would think fifteen is old enough for tea or coffee, so long as you don't get addicted to the stuff..."

"You're too late." Kanna giggled, but the giggle turned into several sneezes. She pulled the blanket tighter. "Mother has me addicted to honey herb tea."

Miss Nina sighed. "I don't have any of that, my child." She said softly, wistfully. It was also her favorite kind of tea, but she'd run out of it just the day before and hadn't had a chance to get to the store. With the way the storm was going, she doubted she'd get to the store within a few days. "I've orange tea, green tea, coffee, and hot cocoa though."

"Orange tea, I suppose." Kanna said, choosing the first option. While the water heated on the stove, Kanna and Miss Nina talked for a while and then when the whistle on the kettle blew, Miss Nina poured them both a cup of orange tea.

Silence filled the back room for a few moments while both sipped tenderly on the hot liquid. Kanna was very grateful for Miss Nina. The woman had no children of her own and had graciously allowed Kanna into her life. Kanna supposed she looked to Miss Nina almost like a grandmother or something of the sort.

It was not Kanna who broke the reverie, but Miss Nina. She placed a hand on Kanna's arm which was much warmer than it had been before and spoke looking directly into Kanna's pitch black eyes. "Please do not be alarmed, Kanna, but I have a serious matter to discuss with you. It is very fortunate that you are here right now."

"Miss Nina?" Kanna asked, confused at the serious tone Miss Nina's hearty voice had taken on. "What is it?" her black orbs met Miss Nina's brown eyes and Kanna saw how aged the human was. She didn't look much older than fifty five, but she was much older than that. The wisdom she held in her eyes.

Kanna realized she wanted to be like that. She wanted to be as wise as Miss Nina was, even if Miss Nina only put her wisdom to use in a parlor.

Miss Nina took a deep shuddering breath and spoke softly. "I've spoken with my lawyer, Kanna. I know I haven't much time left on this earth, so I..."

"What is it?" Kanna repeated, urging the older woman to continue.

"I made you my beneficiary. You will inherit everything upon my death, Kanna."

"Miss Nina, I couldn't possibly—" Kanna began, but Miss Nina would hear none of it. She cut the young girl off with a stare.

"Of course you can." She promised. "It's not much, but it's something! When I die, this place will be sold, and all my important things and the money from the sell will go to you."

Kanna didn't know what to say. She was speechless. She hadn't realized that Miss Nina thought so highly of her. Instead of speaking, she set down her teacup, let the blanket fall from her shoulders, and moved her cold creaking body towards where the elderly woman sat at the other side of the table, wrapping her arms around the woman's shoulders in a hug. Tears sparkled in her eyes and she cried. She didn't understand why, but she cried anyway.

After a few hours, she called her mother from Miss Nina's house and was allowed to stay the night considering the snow was far too thick for anyone to try to get her. Her mother apologized for forgetting her but Kanna insisted it was over and done with. Kanna slept next to her "grandmother" on the bed, but when she woke Miss Nina was gone. Her physical body was still there, but her spirit had gone to heaven.

The obituary in the newspaper would read, "Miss Oyo Nina, age one hundred three, owner of the Nina Beauty Parlor died of old age on January 31, 3008; on the very same day she was born..."

Miss Nina's death had a huge effect on her, even more than the effect of the death of her foster parents when they came to get her from the police station after giving her statement of the previous evening. A car crash on slippery roads... Irony floated into her veins and she felt like she had become the "Void" that the students called her.

Her foster parents left her everything too. The house was sold to pay off their debts, and Kanna wept. When the police asked her if she had any family he could call, she quietly murmured, "My sister, but I don't know how to get a hold of her right now."

As a tear dripped off her face, she remembered the number Kagome had given her for emergency calls. "I think I know someone who can find her though."

Her voice was monotone and it unnerved the policeman but she just kept rummaging through her backpack until she found what she was looking for. Her small coin purse held the number. She held it out to the man and he looked at it. "Whose number is this?" He questioned, wanting to know the name of the person he was going to call.

"It is my sister's friend and business partner, Kagome Higurashi." She said and coughed, covering her mouth so she wouldn't spread her germs too much.

The man thought about that name and tried to figure out why it was so familiar to him. Perhaps it would come to him as he was talking to the person? He picked up the phone and dialed the number, listening to it ring.

* * *

Kagome woke up with a crick in her neck that she couldn't get rid of. She supposed it was from sleeping on the floor at first, but when she looked around she noticed that her bedroom was made up already. Kagura had probably used her fan to show off and assembled everything that way. The wind was an amazing thing when used the right way. Kagome was up on the top of the loft.

She sneezed and her nose felt pained as though the blood was clogged in the veins somehow. Her throat tightened and yet she still pulled herself out of bed. She hadn't eaten the night before, and she was still mad at herself for falling asleep in the snow bank.

As she changed from her pajamas into a pair of loose fitting khakis and a button-up blouse white in color, she looked at herself. The grey khakis and the white top had a nice effect on her she decided.

She saw a note lying on her new desk and walked over to it, noting Kagura's neat hand writing. "Pleased to see you've finally joined the world of the living!" Kagura's note said with a smiling face at the end of the sentence. It then continued and Kagome's brow furrowed.

"I've taken liberty to helping myself to some of your spending cash. Yusuke and I are going shopping for you to get you some delicious clothes, and perhaps something for ourselves too for all the hard work we're doing these days."

It wasn't that Kagura was helping herself to Kagome's money that bothered her; she trusted Kagura would spend the money wisely and not throw it around like a lunatic and Kagura always told her when she took money and made a record of how much she took.

It was the fact that she wanted to go clothes shopping for herself and now she wouldn't be able to. She sighed and continued reading.

It was probably best that Kagura went instead. Kagura knew what size clothes she wore, as the two of them were exactly the same size (when Kagura wasn't on stilettos and both were barefoot) in girth. Both had the same bust size, both had the same broadness to their shoulders, both had the same petite waists. In fact, if Kagome didn't know better, she would say Kagura was her sister but that was impossible.

"Don't get yourself in a bundle, Kagome!" Kagura had written. "You need to go to your mother's house anyway. You've got to be fitted for that dress, if you'll chance to recall. Love, Kagura."

"Pleasant." Kagome drawled, not liking the prospects. Her mother's wedding was too close for comfort. She didn't really like dresses. She never had. She preferred to feel freedom of movement and some gaudy gown would never allow her long legs such freedom because of the way the material would wrap up in her legs.

Kagome looked around for a moment, observing her room. Kagura had placed the picture of Kohaku and Kagome on the wall above her bed so it would always be by her side. The rest of the pictures were on the wall anywhere else was possible. The bookshelf held no books yet, the desk was bare, the closets closed but Kagome already knew that her clothes were hung neatly inside (the clothes she did have).

As Kagome descended the stair, she strapped her phone to her side and her watch to her wrist. It was early morning, not even six yet. She'd always been an early riser. Sammy was not in the apartment with her but she shrugged that off.

She didn't mind really, because she didn't want to have to explain what had happened the night before. She didn't understand why she had gotten so upset.

So Sesshoumaru had told her he'd gladly do things with her. That didn't mean he meant what he'd said. She'd come across plenty of people like that who said they'd do one thing and really did an entirely different thing.

As she looked in the fridge, the prospect of actually cooking something made her stomach retch. It wasn't a pleasant prospect, considering she once had been a great cook but lately couldn't do anything without burning everything.

Instead of cooking, her intentions changed and she decided to go out and find something to eat at some restaurant somewhere. Otherwise she could always get her mother to cook her something.

She sneezed as she was putting on her coat and when she was putting her socks on to put her shoes on, Sammy came into the apartment. She looked like she was trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake any "sleeping occupants" but Kagome –the only other person there- was already awake.

Tear stains flowed down her face and she was wiping at them quickly. Her hair was thoroughly disheveled, her coat was rumpled and dirty, and her bare legs were dirty as well.

"Sammy, are you okay?" Kagome asked quietly and watched the other girl jump. Obviously she hadn't noticed Kagome. "What's wrong?"

Sammy swiped at a few more tears that trailed down her face and shook her head. "Oh it's nothing. Don't worry yourself, Kagome." She rushed by and Kagome grabbed her upper arm, stopping her in her steps. Kagome felt herself to be Sammy's friend, and she knew Sammy had tried to comfort her the night before.

"I'll well worry myself if I want to." She said, though it was in a kind voice. "What's going on?" When Sammy showed no signs of running again, she loosened her grip on the girl's arm and put her hands in her pockets. She wasn't going anywhere until she knew what the matter with Sammy was.

"I...I lost my temper at work." When Kagome gave her a small glare, she hastily explained, "I had two jobs; one at the family restaurant and the other at a café." Kagome's gaze lightened and she continued. "Well, I work nights, midnight to four – the shifts aren't very long at the café, and I was working overtime to try to get some more money until I got a new second job and you know how those truckers are."

Kagome held up a hand to stop Sammy momentarily. "You're babbling. Calm down and speak."

Sammy placed a hand fisted by her heart as though afraid her fast beating heart would burst from its confines if she didn't restrict it further. She took a few deep breaths before continuing and her voice took on a much more relaxed turn. "The truckers are awful as the night drags on and they like the short uniform a little too much, I think."

She unzipped her coat and showed Kagome her outfit. The gesture was purely to prove her point; Kagome knew a few people who might find that outfit overly decent and those people consisted of Hiei, Yusuke, Kohaku, and Miroku. "Okay, so what happened?"

"A big guy decided he thought I was a prostitute! The café is an innocent little coffee house during the day but from ten till dawn it's kind of a bar." Her voice had pretty close to calmed down but she was still angry, Kagome could tell. "He placed his hands on me, Kagome! All over me! When I told my supervisor what he did, the guy was asked to leave but he was waiting for me outside when I was on my way home!" A fresh pool of tears was plowing their way down her cheeks.

Kagome felt her anger rising and knew if she were a dog (and she could very well have been if she wanted to be) her hackles would have been up. She felt she knew where the story was going, though she didn't want to jump to conclusions. She hoped she was wrong; if she was right, no doubt Sesshoumaru would notice immediately.

Kagome's sense of smell was only as strong as a human's and she couldn't pick up those subtle hints of intimacy that a sensitive nosed demon would be able to. If she were to change her body around, she could do it but that might unnerve Sammy and she didn't want to do that.

"What happened then, Sammy?" She didn't ask more than she demanded to know, but Kagome just couldn't let the situation ride. She was a private investigator, a protector to those who needed it.

Sammy was silent for so long that Kagome feared the other girl would not answer. When the answer did come, it made a rumble in Kagome's throat grow bolder by the second. "The man... I never stood a chance. But then again, it's not the first time it happened so I guess—"

"Sammy, what did he look like?" Kagome growled. She'd been right. Sometimes she hated being right with a vengeance.

"What can you do about it? Just because you have plenty of money to throw around doesn't mean you can do anything more about it than can the poli—" Sammy's angry voice was cut off by Kagome's phone ringing.

"I am the police!" Kagome told her with a frown, though she softened her tone. Sammy was starting to cry again and Kagome took the elder girl into her arms and hugged her, feeling it was the best way to console her. Sammy cried into her shoulder. "I'm a private investigator, Sammy.

"The friends that I had over last night – though I know I'm a terrible host"—at this, a sound somewhere between a chuckle and a choked sob escaped Sammy's throat—"those people are my partners in the business I run. I protect people, Sammy. Granted, I've only been doing this for a few months, but I consider you my friend and I've always protected my friends, since I was young."

Her phone kept ringing insistently but she ignored it pointedly, figuring it to be Sango or Kohaku. It wouldn't be Kagura or Yusuke or Hiei because no doubt Kagura had all their phones on "off" mode so that Kagome couldn't yell at them for going clothes shopping for her. The phone stopped ringing for a moment, and then started up again. Obviously the person was trying to call again.

Sammy took a handkerchief from her pocket and blew her nose, still crying. Her tears were drying up slightly, but she still didn't seem to believe Kagome. Kagome pressed the issue further. "I even went so far as to beat up my cousin for her hurting one of my friends! I defended that same cousin when another guy tried to touch—no, did touch her inappropriately. Sammy, you can trust me. Please tell me—"

"Answer your phone, Kagome." She whispered with a sniffle. "I'll still be here. I just... I've already been down to the police station and they're not doing anything and I can't talk about it right now."

Kagome sighed. "Promise me—"

Sammy didn't even give her a chance to finish. "I promise, I'll tell you all about it later and you can do whatever you want with this information!" Sammy rushed off to her room and Kagome stood there for a second before answering the phone.

Kagome couldn't figure out why Sammy was so calm about the entire situation; anyone who was just raped should be at least a little freaked out and hysteric, but the girl before her only shed a few tears and calmly said not to worry about it.

She contemplated going after Sammy, but one look at the caller ID on her phone told her she didn't know who was calling. She was torn between wanting to go comfort her new friend and finding out what the person on the other line wanted.

She hated placing Sammy second, but the number was from Raspuit and she knew a few people from there (through Yusuke) who might also have been in trouble and wanted help. Sammy was safe in the apartment at least, but those people might not be. She flipped the cover open on the phone and answered it.

"This is Higurashi—"

She was cut off by the voice on the other line. "Miss Higurashi, this is Hamina Toshu from the child services"—Child services? Kagome thought, I don't have a child...—"department in the Raspuit Police Department. I'm in charge of placing children who have lost their parents and have no family in foster care. I've got a child named Kanna Irri—"

"Yuukaku." A second voice on the other side of the line said quietly. "My name is Yuukaku."

"Sorry..." the first voice mumbled and then continued on as though he'd never been interrupted. "Kanna Yuukaku down in the office. There's been an accident, and we can't find her sister."

A third voice on the other side of the phone Kagome had trouble making out, but she could just barely hear what they were saying. "Hey, Toshu. I ran some scans on Kagura Yuukaku. Might as well search for a new foster home. Yuukaku isn't going to be able to keep the kid even if she does come down. Take a look at this."

Kagome didn't know what they were looking at, and she wasn't going to pretend, but whatever it was sounded pretty condemning for Kagura and Kagome didn't want Kagura and Kanna to lose each other. She bit her lip for a moment as the other side of the line went silent.

Finally the man, Toshu, spoke again. "Sorry to bother you, Miss Higurashi. Have a nice—"

Oh no, Kagome thought angrily, they're not just going to hang up on me. Not when this is about Kanna. "What's happened to Kanna?" she asked into the phone, sure to place her tone carefully so as not to make the other person hang up out of anger at her arrogance. "May I talk to her?"

There was hesitation on the other end of the line for a moment before she heard the sounds of shifting and the quietest voice Kagome had ever heard spoke into the phone. "'Allo?" Kagome couldn't remember a time when Kanna had ever been so quiet.

When Kagome had always seen her, she'd been boisterous and happy; now she sounded like her world had crumbled and there was nothing left to live for. Growing up with a psychiatrist and having to learn to deal with the fact that there were constantly patients around the office, Kagome learned quite well how to notice the changes in the voice.

"Kanna? Baby girl, what happened?" Kagome asked into the phone, using Kanna's nickname given by her. Kagome always felt more familiar with people if she had a nickname to call them by and she'd noticed that often times than not most people preferred the nicknames so long as they weren't condescending.

"There was a blizzard and school got out early." Kagome heard sniffles on the other line. She got the feeling that Kanna had been mostly holding back her feelings until just then. "Mother forgot to come pick me up, and so I was walking home.

"I stopped at Miss Nina's parlor and we were talking a long time and she told me she knew she didn't have long left. Miss Nina has felt like a grandmother to me and well, it was getting late and so I called mother to ask if I could stay at Miss Nina's."

Kanna's sobs made Kagome's hands shake. She looked at the clock. It was nearing eight AM. There was no telling where Kagura would be at that very minute. The city of Sunset wasn't that big, but it also wasn't small enough that if she wanted she could find Kagura instantly. If she were to look for Kagura, she might've spent the whole day looking, and inside her mind plans were already forming to go to Raspuit and get Kanna using whatever means necessary.

"When I woke up this morning, Miss Nina was gone"—Kagome realized Kanna didn't mean gone as in not there, she meant gone as in she'd left the plains of the living—"and I called the police and they came to get me and Miss Nina. Mother and father were called and it was still really dark out and their car slipped and they're gone too!"

Kagome thought for a moment and then nodded to herself, deciding on a course of action. "Kanna, you stay right there, okay? I'm going to get a plane flight and come get you as soon as I can. I'm on my way to the airport right now."

"Okay..." Kanna's voice was anguished, but she seemed a little less tense in her voice. "Is Kagura with you?"

"Sorry, Baby girl, she's not. She's in the city, but I don't know where, her phone is off, and it would take all day to locate her."

"Mr. Toshu wants to talk to you again... Thank you..."

"For what?" Kagome asked, confused slightly. She didn't understand why Kanna felt like she had to thank her. Kagome was only doing what she thought was right. More often than not, doing the right thing hardly rewarded a thank you. This didn't reward a thank you in Kagome's mind, because a person who wouldn't go help the girl would definitely deserve a good sock in the face.

Speaking of socks, Kagome thought inappropriately, I should go see how Karei is doing. Then she shook herself. Now was certainly no time to think of her cousin, but Kagome did wonder how Sesshoumaru got Karei far enough from him to even get someone else as a girlfriend. A thought occurred to her: what if Sesshoumaru was using Sammy to get rid of Karei?

Kanna's soft voice pulled her back to the present. She would have plenty of fearful time on the plane to think about all that. Oh, how she hated planes. Just the thought of it made her want to vomit, but she kept it in her gut.

"Thank you for always being like a mommy to me and Kagura. I know you're younger than Kagura, but I know she looks to you for guidance and a role model just as much as I do..."

Before Kagome could respond to that, the man's voice came through the phone. "Miss Higurashi?" Toshu's voice questioned. The other side of the phone was silent for a moment mostly except a few murmurs presumably from Kanna.

When the man's voice came back, his tone was much different then the condescending tone from when he'd started talking at the beginning of the phone call. "The young girl said you intend to come get her?"

"Yes, I do. What procedures am I going to have to do to get custody of Kanna?" She was guessing that Kagura would be unable to get custody of the newly orphaned Kanna because of a past error, but Kagome would most likely have no problems. Her money was secure, the charges from when she'd beaten Naraku up had expired and couldn't be held against her, and she had a secure place now for Kanna to live – in the apartment with her.

Kagura will no doubt not leave for Raspuit now, which means Yusuke and Hiei will also stay. I will have to find another apartment for the three, because they certainly can't live here, Kagome thought wryly.

"There is the background check we will initially have to perform to make sure you're secure socially, physically, and mentally. Then there is the paperwork. I would think you should plan for at least three hours, maybe up to five hours, of the process."

"The trip there will take me at least seven hours, possibly longer if traffic is bad enough. I will get a hold of my family lawyer and have him fax my information to you. Get as much of that paperwork done as you can before I get there and keep an eye on Kanna." Kagome let her tone take on a commanding air as she talked, looking around for her keys. She was back up in her room and she couldn't figure out where Kagura had put them.

Checking her coat pocket, she blushed when she found them to be there already. So, now with one shoe on and one shoe still by the front door, she went down the stairs and began to put on her final shoe, holding the cell to her ear with her shoulder. It was difficult to do while trying to put on shoes, but she didn't want to waste more time than she had.

"There's not much I can do," Toshu started before Kagome interrupted the man on the other end of the line. "Trust me; with my lawyer, I'd be surprised if you had anything left to do by the time I get there." She winced at saying trust me. She knew what affects that had on people and no doubt he'd be dubious now but she'd already said it and she couldn't take it back. That would make him even more doubtful than before.

"Okay..." Already that doubt was settling in and she could hear it in his voice. Oh well, she'd just have to prove it to him. She liked the new family lawyer that she'd found—he did a spectacular job—she just had to get a hold of him and pray he wasn't drunk off his ass.

"Thanks. With luck, we'll get this taken care of quickly." She hung up and finished tying her shoe before standing. Scrolling through her cell's phone book, she found her mother's phone number. She had to tell her mother she wouldn't be stopping by or else the woman would no doubt worry.

She felt slightly bad that she was still postponing that dress fitting and the wedding was only a few days away. Perhaps she could get Kagura to stand in for her. It would be the ideal thing to do, and she'd then only have to wear the thing once—at the wedding.

"Sammy!" she called, her voice trailing through the apartment. It was nearing nine and she had to get going soon. Very soon. She called out, "I've got to go get someone. I won't be back until really late, but our conversation is not over with. If Kagura and the guys come by, just let them in and tell them I had an errand to run."

There was no sense worrying Kagura over something she would be unable to control. Kagome heard movement in Sammy's room but she got no answer. She had figured she wouldn't.

"Where are you going?" A voice whispered in her ear and she jumped, turning quickly and throwing her fist at the intruder's face. Anyone who was in the apartment other than her and Sammy at this hour—without being invited especially—was no doubt up to no good.

Her fist was caught in Sesshoumaru's hand and he quirked an eyebrow at her. "Jumpy today?" he questioned with a smirk. He'd just arrived and he found it amusing how she had yet to notice him.

"If you feel like holding hands, do it with someone else." Kagome snarled, dragging her fist away from his. Sesshoumaru's eyes drifted to Sammy's room and his nose was twitching slightly as though he were testing the air. "Leave her alone for now." Kagome warned him. "She'll talk about it when she's ready."

"I take it you know something of what happened?" Sesshoumaru inquired quietly. His eyes never moved from the door to Sammy's room. He knew she was in there; it was hard for him not to know. He somewhat wished he'd gone home right after work instead of stopping at Sammy's apartment.

The memory of the scent he smelled—the scent of intimacy whether it was forced or willing was always the same—brought back terribly familiar memories that he wanted to suppress. He was worried about whether or not Sammy had betrayed him, though he completely wanted to believe that it was impossible for her to do so, even if that meant she was traumatized.

"Come into the hall." Kagome told him. She opened the door for him and as he followed her out she closed the door and locked it for double assurance that Sammy wouldn't hear her. Sesshoumaru was looking at her with an expression that told her he knew she didn't have to tell him if she didn't want to. He couldn't make her tell. Kagome felt he ought to know something though.

Looking into his golden eyes, she saw the hidden worry in them. "Don't go barging in there. You're to stay away from her. Right now, a man is the last thing she's going to want to see." She took a deep breath and steeled her body. "Don't go galumphing off trying to find the guy—you'll only land yourself in a deep shit hole if you do—but she was raped early this morning."

"What?" he snarled and Kagome put her hand to his mouth, "Shh! Sesshoumaru, keep your voice down! I realize this must make you angry—"

Sesshoumaru's eyes were dead locked on her as he grasped her wrist tight and yanked it away from his mouth. "Angry? This is Sammy we're talking about! You expect me not to want to go rip his throat out?" He was very angry, and she knew it, but she was also not in the least intimidated by him. She was more annoyed than anything.

"And get charged with murder? Yes, I don't want you to do it!" She took her private investigator's badge—issued to her upon graduation at Wyman University—from her pocket and put it in his eye sight. "Look? You see this? Finding guys like that one is my job."

"What are you talking about? Private investigators can't do anything; they don't have the same rights as a cop!"

"Obviously you don't know much about my job line, do you?" Kagome sneered, "Since thirty o'six us P.I.'s have had much more rights than before. We can carry a gun on the job if we so choose, we can throw criminals in jail, and we don't have to report to the police and have them apprehend criminals. We do just as much now as the police do, if not more than!"

Kagome didn't know why she was standing in the hall debating the duties of a P.I. with Sesshoumaru. She had to get to the airport and she had to get her phone out of her pocket from whence she had dropped it when getting her badge and call her mother and lawyer. "I've got a plane to catch and you're holding me up."

Her voice was an angry snarl, though she still kept it down. "We can debate another day. If you go after him, don't think I'm going to hesitate putting you in jail. You know very well you've never been my favorite person."

A thought spiked in her mind. He owed her a favor for the stunt she'd pulled three years back when she acted as his girlfriend for his mother. "You owe me a favor." Kagome settled her voice calmly, though it was difficult. Her blood was racing and she wanted to give him a nice shiner for being so stupid. Ignorance wasn't attractive in Sesshoumaru—it was more of an Inuyasha thing, not Sesshoumaru.

From the look on his face, he remembered what she was talking about. He was scowling but his mind pulled up a memory of during the "field trip" when he'd let Kagome off the hook and she hadn't had to be his slave for a day. "No. We're even. If you'll recall, I let you off the hook after I beat you at that silly dance." His smirk was back in full effect and as she replaced the badge in her pocket and pulled out her cell phone, she was scowling.

"If you go after him"—her phone rang and cut her sentence short. She felt like smashing the tiny flip phone but knew that wasn't in her best interest. It was her mother on the other side of the line. She answered while Sesshoumaru leaned casually against the wall beside the door, smirking. "This is Higurashi—"

She was beginning to think that everything that day would interrupt her. Two phone calls interrupted her, a child services worker interrupted her, and now her mother did, hastily speaking into the phone so fast that Kagome feared her mother would choke on the words.

"Kagome where are you? You have to be fitted for the dress! The wedding is less than two weeks away; oh Kagome what am I going to do, I'm so nervous!"

Her brow furrowed. She really, really didn't have time to deal with a woman with wedding jitteriness. "I was just going to call you. Something came up and—" Again she was interrupted. She was starting to become really peeved about that.

"Something's always coming up, Kagome! I know this doesn't seem important to you but it's very important to me! Why can't you just accept the fact that I'm having you wear a gown? You'll look beautiful!"

"Mother, that's enough!" Kagome's fist clenched and she had to count to twenty three before she was even remotely beginning to relax. "I'm about to head off to Keysville to catch a flight to the closest place to Raspuit that I can because—"

"Something came up?" Her mother was bitter and it was evident in her voice. "What came up?"

Kagome bristled at the tone her mother used. Kagome knew her mother was very excited to be in the throes of wedlock once more, but Kanna was more important than being fitted for a dress that could be done at any time.

She needed to make her mother understand exactly why she was avoiding her this time, and this time it wasn't just something she basically made up to get out of being fitted for the dress. This time it was important.

"I'll tell you but you have to promise to keep it confidential, mama. Do not tell Kagura. I don't want her rushing off to Raspuit." She'd just given Sesshoumaru the perfect bait to use against her, but she didn't have time to deal with it.

"Kanna's family got into a car accident and if someone doesn't go get her they're going to send Kanna to a new foster home. I'm going to get her, and if people keep holding me up I won't get back until tomorrow night for goodness sake!"

"Kagome...you're not off the hook. But go get that little girl. I'm guessing they probably did a background check and found something they didn't like—anyway, get going. Immediately upon your return, you are to come home. Understood?"

"Er..." Kagome blushed a deep hue of red as she saw Sesshoumaru trying to stop a grin from spreading across his face. So he thought it was funny that she didn't like dresses, did he? Well, he deserved what he got then. But she of course, did not have time to take care of it at the moment. She had to get to the airport. That was a three to four hour drive depending on how road and traffic conditions were.

"Kagome..." her mother's voice held a dangerous warning in it.

"Understood." Kagome muttered bitterly. I'll be sure to drive as slow as I can on the way back. The thought felt as miserable as she did at the idea of wearing a dress. "I'll be there. I've got to go. Call my lawyer and tell him to fax all information pertinent to adoption to the Raspuit Police child services desk. I've really got to go now. Bye."

She hung up before her mother could say anything more, knowing she'd be reprimanded for that later on, but not really having time to ponder it. "Don't you dare go after him," Kagome warned her tone bitter as she headed for the stairs and sneezed. "Oh great. Just wonderful!"

She wondered how healthy the trip would be for her considering she seemed to have a cold from stupidity, but still that didn't give her time to ponder that either.

She wondered as she entered the stairwell whether or not he'd listen to her, but a quick look at her watch told her it was heading onto eleven AM. She didn't have any more time to waste. If she hurried, she'd make it to the airport by three PM if she was lucky.

She had no doubt that her mother would contact her lawyer. Sangofully she'd even catch her lawyer in the middle of a terrible hangover! She'd definitely set him straight. After her mother got through with her lawyer, he'd never touch a drink again.

The pleasant thought brought cheer to her much interrupted morning but it was but a tiny dent in the vehicle of gloom that had settled over her as of finding Sammy raped and Kanna orphaned. Shame mother had never been able to do that for father. That sent her right back into the same mood as before.

As she got into her Rent-a-Car, she felt like bashing her head against the horn, but she knew it would just waste more precious time, so she just started it and drove off heading for Keysville. She wondered how well she'd take the plane ride. She'd forgotten to grab her valium. Sometimes worry made a person forgetful and she wouldn't have time to stop and grab some anywhere. She'd have to deal with it on her own.


	13. Thirteenth Chapter

"The disappearance of Kikyou and Kaede, my beloved granddaughters, has greatly disturbed me, but what disturbs me more is that two of our finest officers are dead." Gytha Motshuria, Mayor of Sunset, said to the press at the press conference following the death of two police officers in her mansion.

The press had swarmed to the subject of two deaths and the Mayor was making it seem like the two girls were at fault. "My granddaughters, however much I love them, must be found."

Gytha was the perfect image of a distraught family woman. Her hair was slightly disheveled from a night "without sleep", her eyes looked puffy from crying, and her hands shook as though afraid to say what she had to say next. "I hope this is all a misunderstanding," she offered to the press.

"I would love nothing more than my granddaughters to be innocent. I know of their inheritance of priestess powers from their mother, I just would have never thought the girls to...to..." she dabbed at tears that dripped down her face with a handkerchief.

"I'm sorry. It's just...when I found the girls missing and the brave policemen dead in their room, their prints all over the murder weapons... They must be found. We must get to the bottom of this."

The story would be the hottest in the newspaper the next morning, and the press conference was live so many of Sunset's population would be watching.

Raine's hand slipped deftly across the orange holographic computer keyboard as she did what she normally did on a daily basis. She hacked into places, found out information, learned what she could, created programs, and checked her many syna emails for orders of specific things like androids or programs that other hackers and people wanted.

It wouldn't be safe for her if she only had one syna email, so she had created a program router that allowed her to have three syna emails that were 'active' and one syna email that was 'unactive'. The 'unactive' email took all the emails that were sent to the other three and converted them to a code of different squares which made it so that unless the person who read it knew the code, they wouldn't understand what it said.

Raine had serious doubt that anyone who read it would be able to understand, considering she was the one who created the code and only she knew what each square symbolized. She hadn't even bothered to tell Rin about the code, knowing her sister would much prefer to be in the dark about technology any better than a sewing machine.

She had almost forgotten that noon was quickly nearing, but Rin had not forgotten. What with Kaede and Kikyou now unable to ever leave the basement of their home because of Gytha's desire to get a hold of the girls for whatever reason—which was very upsetting for the two when Raine had told them that morning upon their awakening—meals were now taken in Rin's comfortable sewing room.

There were no windows at all to shine into the basement and the only exit out of it was the stairwell. "Come eat, sister." Rin called from the sewing room.

"In a minute." Raine called back. She finished typing the email response to the order and sent it. It would be changed from words to squares on the journey to the particular syna email that she was sending it out of and when it was there it would convert to regular words again and send out to the email recipient.

Sometimes she wondered if she was a little too careful, but she always turned around and said no, she wasn't careful enough. She stood from the computer and went to join the other girls for lunch.

As she sat down on one of the many comfortable cushions that Rin had placed about to give the room more color, she pondered what she should bring to the table for conversation.

She wasn't all that much of a conversationalist unless it included taking technology of some sort, which was basically why she and Relic got along so well. Thankfully, she was spared that menial task by Rin, who took a delicate sip of her tea before setting her glass down and placing her hands in her lap, looking at Kikyou and Kaede.

Kikyou was constantly looking towards the stairwell door as though it would suddenly burst open and someone would come in and demand to see her and Kaede in shackles. Kaede was pale from blood loss, but much better after Raine had given her a dose of Portaculant which was what Raine called the life fluid that raced through Rin.

It worked as a blood substitute for humans, but unlike blood it didn't clot. A small dose of it helped blood to quickly replace itself. There was a handkerchief covering her left eye to keep her from staring at the hole in the center of her eyeball in one of the many mirrors around the room.

"I would very much like an explanation." Rin said calmly. Raine admired her younger twin for her ability to stay calm about the whole situation. Raine wasn't screaming hear head off at Kikyou and Kaede telling them to explain, but despite her outer calm appearances, Raine knew she would like to scream.

Rin had been through so much worse things like the surgery that turned her Cyborg that she just didn't get very upset anymore. Getting upset over her newfound ovaries growth was an exception.

"I don't know much; Kaede is the one who does." Kikyou's hands shook on the teacup and Rin deftly reached over and took the glass, placing it back on the coffee table where they were seated around before it spill all over the nervous girl.

Kaede stayed quiet for such a long time that lunch was nearly eaten before she began her tale, sparing nothing to herself as she spoke. She admitted that she had felt glad to get Kikyou in trouble just as much as she had regretted it afterwards.

She admitted to feeling like she should just go back to bed but curiosity made her want to stay and see what was going on. She told about how she somehow—by God's will or her own she wasn't sure—fell through the wall when she tripped.

When she finished she was shaking. "I was so scared—I thought I was going to die."

"It's so like our parent's murder." Kikyou whispered. "We weren't supposed to see them die, but a nightmare drove us to our parent's room, just like my nightmare drove Kaede to grandmother's room. They were going to kill us then, but we survived by sheer luck, running to find some place to hide in the middle of a blizzard."

Silence filled the room for a moment as all four thought about that seeming coincidence.

* * *

It must be here! The woman thought as her anger rose farther and she shook with rage. Her anger was no where near complete as she searched for what she wanted. The boy on the metal bed was but a shallow success, so she wondered what she had done right. She had been looking forward to kidnapping again.

The android that she'd created and given the name L.I. X.E.R.A. was nimble and could blend in with any crowd. She'd created it using the idea of a shape shifter demon so unlike other androids, this one she could change the image of in an instant. Life was so fun when you add a little risk here and there.

She giggled as she found what she was looking for. Now she had the needle and the Portaculant so if she hurried, she would be able to complete the final touches on the boy, take a bath, and leave the lab to get to the studio before the students even finished their afternoon classes and hurried to dinner.

She filled the needle with the blood red colored liquid and the boy's mouth opened in a silent scream as he felt it enter his arm. Tears trailed down his body; it was a wonder he had stayed conscious through the entire surgery but he had.

Blood washed the table around him; his blood washed the table around him and dripped onto the floor. He couldn't speak without his tongue and no amount of anguished pains would escape his tortured soul to be heard without his voice box. His breath just escaped through his mouth in a quick wisp.

As she left the tortured boy on the table to favor a bath in the tub, her aberrant mind turned to what she could do next. She'd finally created a Cyborg. That had been her ultimate goal and now that she was sure she did that, she had no idea what she would do next.

The boy's heart was weak still after the operation. There was a chance that he might not make it through the rest of the day, and if that was so, she wondered what she might be doing wrong. It wasn't like if he died she'd quit trying. She'd certainly continue to try!

Oh, and she would so have had well over fifty new test subjects if only that defiant girl hadn't been pulled to the side by that stupid boy. Three years before she would have successfully managed to secure older children. It was all thanks to that Lea Saeko girl who foolishly sent them all into an area where she knew exactly how to get in without detection.

"Oh poo!" she complained. "It must be the age. I have always done young children. I will have to get someone older and test my theory." Her mind moved to formulate plans. Her little ' School of Ballet' was a secure way to launder the money from the ransom.

Children were sent to her every year by the dozens, but she dare not take one of those children. If one of those children disappeared she would be under certain investigation. The ransom money would pay for the new supplies she needed to create her little monstrosities.

Life was so fun on the edge!

* * *

"I've told you, time and again, Toshu. You're going to get yourself in over your head. Do you even know who you're dealing with this time?" A woman stood before Toshu's work space with her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face.

Her bright red curly hair was dyed, Toshu was sure. She had to be a natural black haired girl, though the curls might not have been faked.

"You tell me what time and again? You've only just transferred here three years ago, you hardly know me! Why did you come to Raspuit anyway? To heckle me?" Toshu snapped at the woman, hating with every ounce of his life the fact that she got to him so easily. Her smile told him that he had expected him to snap at her and she wasn't the least bit intimidated.

"You're dealing with Kagome Higurashi." She said simply as though it should have been obvious to him all along. She observed the red nail polish shining on her hands for a moment as though she didn't care a wit about him, and he had no doubt that she didn't.

It was obvious how she liked older men and though he was the same age as her—thirty years old—he, like her, did not have the look of a forty year old that was balding. Both of them looked much younger than their actual age. While she looked twenty five, he looked no older than her.

"And just who is Kagome Higurashi? Why should I give a rat's ass? She's a person who intends to take custody of the girl." He waved his hand at the chair that Kanna sat in, looking dead to the world.

Kanna's dreaming eyes turned in the direction of the woman and Toshu, none of the hurt she was feeling showing in her dark orbs or her expression. She completely looked like nothingness.

A porcelain doll held more expression than she did. Toshu felt a shiver crawl up and down his spine as he saw the look and quickly turned away, but he could feel the young demon's eyes boring into the back of his head. Was she offended? He couldn't help but wonder.

"You'll see I suppose."

"You P.I.'s annoy me. You wander from place to place doing whatever the hell you want and—"

"Kagome is a private investigator too..." Kanna said suddenly and quietly. The two could barely hear her voice over the noise coming from the main part of the department.

She reached into the bag that sat at her feet and from it extracted a mirror that's edges looked to be made of some sort of grey bone. It was a round mirror, about eight inches in diameter, the edges of it looking to be slight tentacles of bone edging out every which way like vines or intestines. The surface of the mirror seemed milky white rather than clear like normal mirrors.

As Kanna turned the mirror in her hands, holding it with her arms seeming to form a diamond around the edges, it faced Toshu and he saw he couldn't see his reflection in the mirror; it was because of the milky surface that he couldn't see his reflection. Whatever it was—mirror or just glass inside a rim of grey bone—it seemed to afford her some comfort being in her arms.

The man in charge of the child services department inside the Raspuit police station was intrigued, even if he was slightly frightened at the same time. He was a human, and he was not in denial that demons existed.

Most demons channeled their energy through something because it made controlling their power easier. Some could simply do the chore without help from anything, and some could not. Some who could simply liked to add a little flare to their life by using something to channel their energy, and some simply could not do anything without the channel.

His eyes could not leave the mirror. His soul felt drawn to it. "Where did you get that?" He was a human and he could feel the power radiating off of it, so he immediately knew she was untrained. He had experience with many young untrained demons; a few of them were not very pleasant.

"My father gave it to me." Her voice was as dead as a piece of brown grass that had been plucked from the ground. "When I was very young...my real father gave it to me."

The woman walked over and sat next to Kanna on the chair beside the white haired girl's. She smiled kindly and held out her hand. "I'm Lea Saeko. What's your name?"

Kanna's blank eyes bore into Lea for so long that Lea began to get uncomfortable. Lea had to force herself not to squirm under the glare of the young girl. She had never encountered a child who looked so sad.

"I will never see you again, Miss Saeko; there is no point to our being introduced..." the girl said wisely, trailing off as her eyes began to stare into space again her arms tight on the mirror. She wasn't going to be letting the mirror go any time soon.

* * *

Naraku lay in his bed in the run down Tokyo apartment that he'd rented with the money that Kagome had given him to use. Before that, he'd been working, but the past five months had been hell as he had been unable to even get out of bed without difficulty.

A bright red sheet of paper had been slid under his door. A white piece of paper, a yellow piece of paper, and a pink piece of paper were on the table. They were not Valentines. They were eviction warnings, and the most recent one, the red one, was an eviction notice. The next day someone would come to help him move.

He took a deep shuddering breath and felt the biting cold of the apartment nipping at his nose. His body, what he could feel of it that wasn't paralyzed, was warm under the blanket, but since he'd woken up that morning, he found he couldn't move anything other than his head. He was dying.

His regrets pulled fast into his mind. Pictures of his children—of those who had not been aborted—were on his bedside, staring at him with smiles forever frozen in frame. He had taken care of them all as best he could. He had not shirked them off completely.

His eldest of the four children was in a picture wearing a bright green dress and tiny green shoes with her delicate hair up in a firm bun. She was forever frozen at age three. He hadn't seen her since then, and he doubted she remembered him. She took after her father the most of all his children. They had the same eyes—none of his other children had his eyes.

"Kagura..." He wished he could have seen her again. He didn't know that the feisty woman he'd seen a month before in the hospital with Kagome had been her, his eldest.

He didn't know she'd been the woman he'd seen two and a half years previous when Kagome was going through her transformation. Kagura hadn't been the product of an affair. Naraku hadn't even met Kali until after Kagura was born.

His second child, the second daughter, was wearing bib overalls cut off at the legs to be shorts, her black hair braided into two long pigtails. She was forever frozen at age five, with an innocent smile on her face and her dark blue eyes positively shining with happiness.

She had the eyes of her mother and her father mixed. The dark crimson of Naraku's eyes and the light blue of Kali's had mixed to make the deepest blue for both his second eldest and his only son.

"Kagome..." His heart yearned for his little princess. He wanted to hear her voice, to be assured that everything was going to be alright, but it wouldn't. He would leave the earth before he even got to give his daughter the one thing he'd spent much of the past three years pouring his heart and power into. He'd finished it, but he couldn't fathom how it would get to her.

His third child, his only son was wearing a dress of his mother's, his mother's high heels, and had one of his mother's French hats on. He was dolled up in make up, frozen at age twelve with a big goofy smile on his face.

He'd had a gender complex then, swearing he was a girl just like his big sister. Rather than the tear bringing him laughter and cheer, it made him weep. How much torture had he put that boy through?

"Souta..." He wanted to laugh at Souta's jokes again, one last time. He wanted to tease Souta about how his future girlfriends would get a great kick out of the cross dressing picture from age twelve.

He wanted to see those deep blue eyes blaze with ferocity when someone did something Souta considered was wrong. He wanted to see the boy practicing at the Ichiro dojo fighting for first place in the semi-annual tournament that was held.

The two had been his only children through Kali, but not the only children he had. He had one more: a little girl, the youngest of the four. She was just thirteen months old. She was from the same mother who had given birth to Kagura. She was wrapped in pink, had a fluff of snow white hair as fine as silk thread on her head, nearly albino skin, and the darkest black eyes. The pink didn't suit her.

"Kanna..." He had never got to meet Kanna. It was something he very much regretted. That would be something he could never change. He would die in that bed. He would die before the eviction services came to get him out of the apartment in the morning. He couldn't leave alive if he wanted to.

And the secret would go with him to the grave. Kagura and Kanna would never know that they had a sister and brother, and Kagome and Souta would never know that they had two sisters.

The cold frosty air of the unheated apartment was beckoning to him. It called to his soul; it toyed with his mind; it made him delusional of a time gone by.

He could see Kagura, sweet little Kagura, running frantically around trying to catch a feather that floated on the wind just beyond her reach. She couldn't reach it and she was crying. The gentle wind kept it just out of jumping reach, sometimes taunting the little girl by lowering the feather low and then dragging it back up again. She cried, and Naraku's heart went out to her.

"Please, don't let her get hurt." The woman who gave birth to Kagura begged. "She's headed straight for the road!" Naraku felt bad for her, because were it not for the paralysis she might not have felt so helpless.

He got up from where he and the woman sat, heading swiftly over to Kagura and sweeping the tiny feather from the air, pulling it down to the little girl's reach.

Kagura's sweet laughter filled the air and her tears dried. "Thank you!" she said excitedly and Naraku knelt by her as she took it.

"Someday you'll be able to capture one on your own!" He promised her, deftly reaching into his pocket. He'd intended to give her the present after dinner, but the perfect moment was at hand and he didn't want to lose it. He took out a green hairclip and stuck the feather in one of the ends, buttoning the clip into her hair carefully. He didn't want to mess up her bun.

"Oh! Am I beautiful like mother?" Kagura had asked. She especially liked her new clip and her hands kept moving to it to make sure it was just as he had put it in. Her crimson eyes sparkled with happiness.

"You're especially beautiful." Naraku assured the young girl, picking her up and walking back towards where Kagura's mother sat in the park on the blanket laid out for their picnic.

Tears trickled down his already moist cheeks, feeling like splashes of icy water on their own. Tears were supposed to be hot and consoling, not cold and condemning. His heartbeat began to slow and thoughts of his loved ones: Kagura, Kanna—even if he had never met her, the two girls' mother, Souta, Kagome, and Kali.

Sunset's Shrink. If there was anyone who had ever stolen his heart away, it was Kali. Sunset's Shrink had brought him such happiness; it was a happiness that filled him then as he thought of her and her upcoming wedding.

He was supposed to go back to Sunset the next day so he could lead Kali down the isle. Kali wouldn't leave him be until he had agreed. Thinking of that special woman brought joy to him like nothing else could.

He contradicted himself. He couldn't laugh at the joyous memories, but he could laugh at sad memories. But the memories that were sad for him were happy ones for Kali. She was happy she would be marrying again, and this time in a promising relationship. She would see Kagome and Souta grow older, get married, settle down, and start families. Kali would happily grow old and die with a smile on her face.

Everything seemed to revolve around Sunset's Shrink, he thought. In a way, Kali was something of a source of trouble though she hardly meant to be. Perhaps it was that psychiatrist's air about her, but everything that seemed to happen was some way either directly or indirectly related to Kali whether it was because of family, friends, or patients.

Everything got back to Kali in the end—or everything that happened in Sunset got back to her. She was the most informed person in Sunset.

His last thoughts were not of any of his four children; they were not of past regrets; they were not of past loves or wishes or dreams or hopes. His last thoughts were simply for the happiness of Kali. He recognized it as it was: this was true happiness. He had now found it, when he stopped looking.

"Smile, Kali. It is radiant. You set the earth a-glow with your smile alone, and a smile is the first step to happiness...you said it yourself: if it hurts to smile, you're not getting enough practice."

Naraku exhaled at last, but his chest did not rise again afterwards. His open eyes stared at the pictures of his children. A smile lit his face and it would not be wiped clean. A necklace—a very special necklace—lay in front of the picture of Kagome-the-five-year-old.

He had left the world of the living; the only thing that now lay ahead for Naraku was a body bag, then a morgue, and then a casket which would be lowered into the ground in his family's cemetery.

He was finally free of pain. Free of suffering. Free from the world.

It was said that a spirit could wander the plains of the living for up to twenty four hours waiting for the final ascent. Naraku had never believed in spirits or second chances at life until the instant he had died and his spirit lifted out of his body.

As he stood there looking down on his body, which seemed a strange phrase considering he didn't have eyes, he began thinking about whether or not he would be able to reenter his body. He guessed that if he did reenter his body, the only thing that would happen would he would die again. He knew his body was trashed—there was no point in trying to lie to himself about it.

"It's strange..." he whispered, though he knew no one would hear. "I'm staring down at my body..." when he reached out to touch his physical bodies pale face, he felt like he was reaching into a bowl of cold pudding because his hand went right through the flesh. Disgusted, he pulled back.

When his eyes landed on the necklace he had spent so long creating, he decided he didn't want to disappoint himself by hoping that he could help institute the progress of the necklace back to Kagome. He felt the happiness he had just before death drain out of his spirit. His thoughts were centered on how Kali and his family would take his death and he wasn't sure he wanted to know. Certainly after all he'd done to treat them badly they would feel it best to cheer his funeral.

He stood stock still, staring at the window of the room wondering if he should leave. It wasn't long before he was again looking back on the necklace. "If my hand goes right through flesh, what is there to make it so my hand grasps the jewel?" he wondered. "But then again, I suppose I'll stop thinking about reaching for it if I try."

A nervous moment later, he knew his answer and it certainly was nothing to make him rejoice over. It served only to make him far more depressed than he had ever been before.

* * *

His tongue stuck out in concentration as he put the blue pen to the white notebook paper and wrote down some more notes that he thought would be interesting to put in his research paper.

"Somobo was a human who lived and fought in the 100-year war. He died shortly after enlisting into the war. Consequentially his spirit wandered the planes of the living for less than twenty four hours before connecting itself to the spirit of a living being in order to prolong the inevitable mark of death from claiming his souls.

"After the 100-year war thousands were claiming they were someone else who obviously was dead. Schizophrenia was one of the many psychological disorders included in the time period because the many spirits were trying to live out the lives they had before they died."

"Oh, Takai!" He groaned as he heard the familiar name of his half-brother coming closer to the dorm room. He placed his face down on the newly written words on the paper before his face shot up again, blue ink letters glued to his face because the ink had not dried.

He wanted to get some work done, not listen to his half-brother and whoever the girl was that undoubtedly the guy was bringing back make out.

He began picking up his things shoving them crudely in the satchel he used for a backpack just as the handsome Medallion Takai walked into the room with a girl sucking on his neck.

Just as soon as they were in the room the girl pulled Medallion down onto the bottom bunk bed, granting a frustrated cry from him and a chuckle from Medallion. "Hey, that's my bed!" Kazuma cried out, dragging on his fire orange hair with his fists. "You're soiling my sheets, Takai!"

Medallion's arm snaked out, though his face was invisible in the line of cleavage the woman's outfit portrayed, and clasped around Kazuma's alarm clock. Kazuma ducked as his alarm clock soared over his head and smashed into the wall behind him.

He felt the primal urge to growl growing deep in his throat as he looked at his broken alarm clock. He was tired of having to buy new clocks because Medallion felt he had to have sexual intercourse with every attractive woman on campus.

He stalked over to his half-brother, wondering what insane notion had ever made him share a dorm with his sibling. Grabbing the girl's upper arm, he shoved Medallion off her and pulled her to the door, opening it and shoving her out despite her protests. After that he slammed the door in her face.

The laughter coming from Medallion surprised him. Certainly he had expected a beating or two, but not laughter. Absently he wondered if Medallion had split personality disorder; a few extra spirits probably wouldn't hurt or at least there would then be something to fill all the extra space inside Medallion's oversized head and cushion his pea-sized brain.

"Kuwabara, you're hilarious, you know that?" Medallion laughed. He lay back on Kazuma's bed and placed his arms behind his head. "You'll never get a woman if you keep throwing 'em out the door."

Kazuma clenched his fist angrily and turned to face his half-brother. "I don't need your hand-me-downs!" he shouted. "You've screwed every girl on campus by now haven't you?"

Medallion smirked and reached into his shirt pulling out what Kazuma thought to be a necklace. On the end was a tiny silver bell that tinkled as he rang it. "No, actually. I haven't done anyone in over three years. I'm saving myself for a very special woman."

"You're lying!"

Medallion dropped the tiny bell onto his chest and his hand went back behind his head again in the same lax position it had previously been in. He closed his eyes and the smiling image of Kagome came to his mind.

The last day he had seen her was the day she'd been leaving for Keysville. She had willingly kissed him that day, but she'd kissed everyone. It had only been a reserved peck on the lips kiss, but nevertheless it gave him hope. He didn't need a picture when the image was burned into the back of his mind.

Before Kazuma could say another word, he shivered. "Hey, do you feel that?" His insides felt cold, but his skin felt uncomfortably hot. Kazuma looked around, trying to find the source of the "tickle feeling" as his high school friends would call it.

It was an inexplicable feeling and he wasn't sure he wanted to feel it. What if it meant something bad? What would he do? He was just a college kid, what more could the world expect of him?

Medallion grabbed an apple from the fruit basket that Kazuma's sister had sent for the two boys to share. He took a bite and was startled into trying to swallow the whole chunk when Kazuma shrieked, "G-g-ghost!"

His face burned and his chest screamed for oxygen. The chunk of apple was lodged in his throat and he felt his awareness slipping away. Vaguely he registered Kazuma slowly noticing him choking and rushed over to try to figure out what was wrong.

He tried to mouth to Kazuma that he was choking but it wasn't working. He felt paralyzed with fear. He didn't want to die; he wasn't ready. He had to grow old, have children, pass on his tough attitude, and marry Kagome.

Ha! He thought in his head. You? Tough? Look at you; you're scared out of your wits!

Is it normal to have a ridiculous conversation in your head while you're dying? he shot back at the strange second voice inside him. Slowly Kagome's face faded away in his minds eye and his body gave a last shudder before it shut down.

The apple slid from his warm fingers to bounce to the floor. He felt his spirit lifting out of his body and was shocked to find himself looking down on himself.

"What is this?" he asked the air, only to hear Kazuma yell, "Another g-g-ghost!" Kazuma shot out the door and down the hall.

Naraku was surprised that the human boy called Kuwabara by his friend had even noticed his presence. He wondered what had brought him to the room he was in at that point in time but he figured it out rather quickly. His father had always said that the soon-to-die called out to the spirits wandering the planes of the living and drew them to one place.

He guessed he was the only one close enough, which would explain why he saw no other ghosts but the shocked one of the boy who had just died.

"Ghost?" the boy called Medallion whispered. "Why am I looking at my body?" It dawned on Medallion then why he was looking at his physical body as though he were a completely different entity.

Seeing the apple on the floor, he kicked at it but was startled to fall back on his behind where he floated an inch above the floor when his foot never made contact.

"That Kuwabara seems rather spineless." Naraku whispered and watched as the boy's spirit face turned to face him. His eyes wandered to the physical body of the newly dead boy. "I know you... aren't you the son of Detective Shino Takai?"

"I don't know, am I? I'm confused because I'm looking at myself and it's not a reflection in a mirror... this room doesn't even have a mirror! What the heck is going on?" Medallion yelped when he felt his hand pass through his deceased body. "Am I dead? Who are you? What are you?"

Naraku sighed. He already couldn't remember if he had been so frantic when he first noticed himself standing next to his body. Standing at all should have been a major feat considering he'd been a paraplegic for over two and a half years.

"You're dead; I'm dead also and my name is Naraku Onigumo." Naraku felt his spirit form glide across the floor as he moved closer to the boy-spirit. "Do you want to live? You could reenter your body, I'm sure."

"Wait, wait a minute." Medallion's spirit was filled with anxiety. "I feel as if time is going far too fast." When Naraku's hand waved to the clock on Medallion's bed, he realized why. Time was going much faster.

It had been three thirty when he had arrived back at the dorms. The hands on the clock were spinning so quickly he was afraid they would fall right off. The minute hand was going steadily in circles faster than a second hand.

"I'll help you get inside your body again and live if you promise to..."

* * *

Yuri's head lay on the desk before her, her eyes closed and her arms cradling her head. She sighed, but no sound emitted from her throat. She could remember everything and that was what she didn't want.

Her mind trailed from one memory in her past to another, never really stopping on anything. It was as though her memories were trying to tell her something, though she couldn't fathom what they would want to tell her.

As she opened her eyes she saw the test she was supposed to be working on barely a few centimeters away from her face. She couldn't remember anything about the 100-year war and no matter how hard she wracked her mind, she couldn't recall anything she had spent hours studying with Sango.

This is why my grades are flopping all over the place, Yuri thought in the endless space of memories in her mind. I don't think I'm going to be able to pass History, and I know I won't be able to pass if I don't ace this test.

She closed her eyes again as she heard the beginnings of people talking—it was all whispers really. Those talking were the people who had finished the test. Her jaws immediately pressed together as they usually did. She knew why this was, but she had yet to allow anyone but those first doctors to examine her find out. She suspected Kali had found out, but she wasn't sure.

She sat up and looked at the clock adorning the wall. If the clock was any indication, she had spent sixty seven minutes watching her memories flow through her mind, each one more indescribably painful than the next. She could recall no good memories; all the bad ones blocked them out.

"Pass in your tests please." Mr. Hiatz called from the back of the room where he sat at his desk. Yuri turned in her seat, grabbing the test nervously before walking back to his desk and setting it in the growing pile collecting in his hands. It was completely blank except for a name. "Miss Nokugami, please stay after class." Mr. Hiatz told her and turned to grasp another student's paper.

She nodded and went to collect her things as the bell rang. While the rest of the students filed out of the room, she pulled her books tight to her chest and stuck her pencil in her bun out of nervousness. "Sit down, Miss Nokugami." She jumped at the sound of his voice directly behind her. She hadn't realized he could be so silent, but somehow even with her advanced hearing he had come upon her.

He chuckled at her. "Relax, Miss Nokugami." His large wiry hand waved towards her seat and he sat in the chair across from her, folding his hands together and looking at her with those nearly black eyes. She could see worry lacing them and blushed. She wanted to apologize for the lack of answers on her test and she might have done so if she could speak.

"This is your third blank test, Miss Nokugami. Not only that, you've yet to turn in any of the assignments on the 100-year war. Do you not understand the work?" He watched her for a long moment as she set her things back on her desk and took out her notebook, pulling her pencil out of her hair bun.

He knew he wasn't the only teacher agitated at her for not speaking, but detentions didn't work for her. She still refused to speak and if you took away her means to write she used hand signals and charades to display what she was trying to say or else didn't do anything at all. She hadn't spoken or even uttered so much as a giggle in the few years she'd gone to SPES.

He read what she wrote when she held it up for him and found the answer very unsatisfactory. Leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, he gave her a serious look. "You don't seem very sorry, Miss Nokugami. Quite frankly, I'm tired of hearing those two words—wait, never mind, you don't speak them. I'm tired of seeing them put to paper." He watched her ears—pointed as they were—turn red with embarrassment.

"Not only that, Miss Nokugami, but your constant refusal to speak is becoming quite a hassle amongst the teachers and students. I'm worried for you; is something going on? Has something happened?"

Mr. Hiatz seemed genuinely concerned for her. If it wasn't serious, she was sure he would not have kept her after. The seven minute break was nearly over, and the students were filing into the room. The student who sat in her desk was waiting for her to leave so he could take a seat.

Yuri wrote quickly on her notebook paper, tore the piece out, and shoved it into Mr. Hiatz long fingers. As soon as she was sure he had it, she bolted from the room. The final bell rang, signaling her late coming. She didn't stop running until she had made it to her last period: study hall.

When she burst in through the doors, the others looked at her with surprise on their face. Her flushed face and tousled appearance gave them the impression that she'd spent the day running laps. "Yuri, you okay?" Kohaku asked, waving her over to where they sat in the corner of the room.

Sango was yet again trying to beat Miroku at chess. Rin was writing an essay no doubt for Language class in her tiny hand writing. Souta and Kohaku were arm wrestling, though with the distraction that Yuri brought Kohaku lost. With Kikyou's disappearance, the room had felt rather empty in each class Yuri had with the girl even though it had only been a day since she had last seen them.

Yuri did not by any means think that Kikyou was capable of murder. Kikyou had quickly become Yuri's best friend and was the only one who Yuri had admitted the reason to why she couldn't speak. She already missed Kikyou.

Yuri nodded and took a seat next to Rin, setting her books down on the desktop. "No, no!" Miroku told Sango. "Don't move there or you'll lose. See my bishop? He'd have your king in check if you moved there."

"Hey guys, I'm a bit disturbed about the whole Kikyou thing." Souta said quietly so no one would hear outside of the group. He slammed Kohaku's fist down on the desktop and turned in his seat so he could be facing everyone else. "Don't you think it's a bit odd? For as long as she's been here, Kikyou's never harmed as much as a fly! In fact, she proved to be afraid of just the fact that smacking Miroku for his pervertedness—"

"Pervertedness is not a word, Souta." Rin chided him gently. She looked up from her assignment at Yuri. "How did your test go?" she asked, changing the subject. Rin did not think it was safe to talk about Kikyou and Kaede's disappearance.

Souta frowned. "Rin, don't even go changing the subject on me! It's been bugging me all day—"

"What are you trying to hide, Rin?" Sango swung her ponytail over her shoulder with a casual air, her violet tank top riding up to show her stomach as she leaned back in the chair. "Put the game away, Miroku. I'm bored with it."

"I am," Rin started, but Kohaku interrupted her, going over to her to sling his arms over her shoulders. "Don't bother to try hiding something from Thief." He grinned at her in good nature and smacked a wet kiss on her forehead. "You have my blessing! Who is he?"

Rin was sure her face turned no less than eight different shades of red at the implication of what he was saying. She wiped her forehead on the back of her hand. "There is no one!" she stammered. "Why do you automatically assume that there is a guy?"

Miroku smacked his gum and Sango kicked his shin. "Don't pop your gum. It's annoying."

Yuri took comfort in the usual confusion and reached in her pile of books for her tiny pink notebook that she used as a diary, but she soon found that it was not there. She looked on the floor around her desk for it but found it was not around.

Her worries began to mount. What if someone found it? What if that someone who found it read it? She turned her mind to where she may have left it. She relaxed—the last place she recalled having it was at the shrine in her room on her desk.

"Would Yuri Nokugami please come to the office to pick up a message? Yuri Nokugami, please come to the office for a message."

* * *

Inuyasha was horrified by what he was reading, but he found he couldn't put the book down. He felt angry and disgusted sometimes, but other times he felt happy. At one point he could remember feeling sad at the contents of the 'book' as well.

As he turned page after page, reading the contents to suit his curiosity, he found the situation was nearly a repeat of three years before when he had read his brother's journal, only this time it wasn't his brother's. It was his sister's.

Most of the entries talked about how much Yuri missed her brothers but it was the ones that didn't talk about that which caught his eye. Nothing was written to give away where Yuri was during the ten years she was kidnapped or who had kidnapped her, though there were names there. Inuyasha doubted that any of the names were the real names.

Excerpt from the first entry 

_The mon hoo iz teecheeng me 2 rite gived me a perty book. He wuz not sopos 2 but he wuz not sopos 2 teech me 2 rite eethur. My riteeng iz perty az the book is. Hiss name iz long and I never speel it rite so he toll me 2 call him Cory._

The penmanship became much better after that first entry, and there were still spelling errors but it was much more legible.

Excerpt from the fifteenth entry 

_The scary lady promiced me if I was good—and I have been good, I swear it!—then she would let me be a ballareena. The lady treets me nice but I call her scary lady becauze sumtimes she is angry and when she is angry she is mad. _

Excerpt from the twentieth entry 

_The lady was mad at Cory when she found out today that Cory was secretly teeching me to read and to rite. Cory promiced that I was a good girl and it wasn't like I could tell anyone where I was or who stoled me from home. The lady finally gave up and tomorrow I'll get to be inroled in the ballareenas! I promice to do good for my brothers. I will be the star. _

Excerpt from the twenty-first entry 

_I promiced I wouldn't stop riteing in you but I met a girl named Raine O. She said I can call her Rainy, and we share a room together. She was not taken from home like me. She was dropped off becauze this is a school. Her mommy, daddy, and sister are in Egypt and she said she dreams of being the best ballareena ever on the world! I hope she becomes the best ballareena ever. I'm cheering for her._

Excerpt from the twenty-ninth entry 

_I'm sorry, diary. I'm not very faithful to you am I? I've been having such a great time with Rainy that I completely forgot my oath to write in you every night. But Rainy's family died and Rainy intends to run away from here. The headmistress doesn't want her to leave because she's her responsibility. _

_You know, I feel like running away with her. I might make it home to my family if that happens. But just in case I am unable to make it out as well, I wrote a letter for Rainy to take to Sess. I hope he gets it. If he gets it, he'll be able to rescue me! _

_Big brother, come rescue me... I want to come home... Rainy's sister is barely alive, the letter Rainy got said. Rainy wants to be sure her sister knows she's there for her. Big brother...Little brother... are you there for me too._

Excerpt from the thirtieth entry 

_It didn't work! Well, the escape half worked, I guess. Rainy got away and she took my letter. She promised to try to find Sess just as soon as she's sure her sister is safe. I hope she stays safe too. But now I'll never speak again. _

_How can I without a voice box or a tongue even? The scary lady sliced it right off. She keeps it in a jar in the metal room. After she took my tongue out she began glowing and chanting some weird words in some foreign language. _

_I couldn't understand anything she was saying but I know I stopped bleeding. Do you know how hard it is to eat without a tongue? I'm a thirteen year old without a tongue. Sess, come save me! Inuyasha, I need your help! Anyone! ANYONE! I'm all alone here now. _

_I have no Rainy to talk to, and I have no tongue to talk with. I will never open my mouth again because what if someone sees my missing tongue? What would they say? They would laugh at me or they would pity me. Sess always told me that pity is the worst things to have someone feel for you. _

_I agree, and that's why I'll never tell anyone what happened._

Inuyasha felt sick to his stomach as he closed the book, tossing it on the floor. There was more in it, much more. It went all the way to entry eighty-four but he couldn't read anymore. His head quickly found its way into the toilet in his bathroom and vomit spewed all over the inside of the bowl, splashing the toilet water back up towards him. His lunch was gone; his breakfast was quickly making its way back up.

When his hair began getting in the way of his vomit spewing session, he just let it stay there. His hands were firmly planted on the sides of the toilet bowl to keep him partially balanced or he knew he would never be getting back up again and the vomit would find its way all over the tiled bathroom floor.

He didn't want to be the one to clean it up so he tried his best to get it in the bowl. When he finally stopped vomiting and then dry-heaving, he weakly pushed himself off the floor and turned the hot water on in the shower stepping in fully clothed.

His white polo shirt was quickly drenched through, showing off his muscular chest as the cloth stuck to him. His pants slowly soaked up water at the top and then down to the floor. He let his face be pelted by the scorching water and his ears began to ring as water got in them.

He wanted to curl up miserably in some dark corner and weep as he realized Yuri had kept to her promise. He had never seen her open her mouth, he had never heard her giggle, she had never so much as made a motion to giggle or talk unless it was writing on a notebook paper or using charades.

In some sick part of his mind he found he wanted to know what the stub would look like and then felt so disgusted at himself for wondering such a thing that he picked up the shampoo bottle and began hitting himself in the face with it.

"Stupid-Stupid-Stupid!" he cried, emphasizing each word with a blow from the shampoo bottle. He yelped when the bottle slipped from his hand and nailed him in the eye. Vaguely he noticed he hadn't closed the curtain on the shower and water was spraying all over the floor in the bathroom.

"Inuyasha!" he hardly registered Sesshoumaru calling up the stairs to him. It was three thirty, so Sesshoumaru should have been sleeping still. He slept until four normally, Inuyasha thought. Then he got up and went to his class at four thirty, and went from class to his girlfriend's apartment until it was time to work.

He leaned back in the shower, allowing the superheated water to boil him—or at least that's what he hoped the water would do. Why he felt so bad as if it had happened to him personally, he wasn't sure.

* * *

As Kagome stumbled shakily off the plane, she felt a surge of pride flow through her. She had not taken a single Valium (which was obvious considering she didn't have any) and she had stayed awake the whole two hour flight.

Granted, she spent most of the flight in the lavatory vomiting, but that she decided was still a step forward. She was beginning to think she was getting addicted to Valium from the regular plane flights she'd been taking the past three months.

As she turned on her cell phone again, she felt someone tap her shoulder. "Miss, you dropped your wallet." Kagome turned to see who had called her and felt her face light up with embarrassment. She took the wallet from the handsome red-head and gave him a small smile.

She looked him over and took note of the black suit pants and the blood red tee shirt. The red hair of his was almost as long as hers, reaching down to mid-back and his green eyes were captivating. She found she somewhat wished she had her mother's priestess powers still because she could tell just from the feel of the aura whether or not a person was human, demon, or half-breed, but no longer could figure that out.

"Thanks." She muttered, still captivated by his gorgeous appearance. His pale skin made his green eyes stand out even further and it was his eyes that seemed to drag her attention away from the real world. Those eyes reminded her of someone; they reminded her of her father many years ago.

He always had that look of mischief in his eyes and it made her realize that she needed to go visit him too and quit avoiding him. Once she had picked up Kanna, she figured she would call her mother, find out where Naraku lived and go visit him.

The man took her hand and bent over it, placing a kiss on her knuckles. She felt her face flaming even worse than before and wondered briefly if steam was coming out of her ears. That's ridiculous! She scolded herself. Steam can't come out of your ears; this isn't a cartoon!

"You're very welcome." The man said, looking up at her through his bangs. "My name is Shuichi Smith. I apologize if I seem forward to you, but might I know your name?" His deep baritone voice sent shivers up Kagome's spine and she found herself wondering what in the name of all the gods (who might or might not have existed) was the man was doing in front of her, practically wooing her and why she was enjoying it.

In the back of her mind she recalled she was in Tokyo so she could get a vehicle to drive to Raspuit and get Kanna. The insistent ringing of her cell phone pulled her attention away from him and she gently pulled her hand away. "Excuse me." She told him, opening the flip top on her phone and pressing the connect button. "Kagome Higurashi—" You know, she thought angrily, I'm really getting irritated at everyone interrupting me today. This must be a sign...

"Miss Higurashi, this is Toshu again from the child services desk in the Raspuit police department. I've been trying to get a hold of you for the past two hours but only have gotten your voice mail."

Kagome rolled her eyes and set her hand on her waist. She was in West City, barely off the plane, and the guy was already calling her. "Did my lawyer fax you the information regarding—"

She clenched her fist when the man interrupted her again. She wondered if his mother had ever taught him that interrupting a person who was talking wasn't very polite, but threw the thought aside. "Yes, Miss Higurashi."

"Alright then, I assume by now you've started going over it? I've just arrived in Tokyo so I should be there in an hour or two. I just have to rent a car and—"

Her patience for the man on the other end of the line was quickly wearing thin. She ran a hand through her hair before she remembered the braid she'd put it in and nearly screamed her frustration when a clump of her hair came loose from the braid. Her hand snaked behind her back, pulling the hair tie out of the end. She didn't notice her missing wallet—she'd never replaced it in her pocket.

"Yes, your lawyer faxed the information and I have much of the work filled out. It is as you said, there really may not be much left to do. I'm calling though because I'd like to know if you have a significant other?"

Kagome felt the expression fade quickly from her face. She was sure she knew where the subject was going. It always looked good on adoption papers if there were two involved. It both could and it couldn't affect her chances to getting Kanna. She should have guessed it would happen. They probably found something questionable about her that made them ask that.

She saw the red-headed man walking away from her and got an idea. "Yes. I'm going to go now though. I'll be there in a few hours." As she hung up, she saw her watch said it was four o'clock exactly and she noticed the disappearance of her wallet then.

Her face turned red with fury and she recalled how the red-headed man had kissed the hand holding her wallet. She hadn't even noticed him take it!

"Oh, that thief!" she hissed under her breath. Her pace was quick as she went after him and tapped him on the shoulder. Before he could realize what was going on, she had him up against the wall with his hands behind his back in a twist.

"I assumed you were slower than you look," the man who claimed to be Shuichi Minamino told her. "I suppose I had that backwards?" His face was split in a grin.

"I guess so." Kagome told him. "I'm a private detective you know." She hinted at the threat of jail and his answer was a chuckle.

"Oh, I know all about you, Kagome Higurashi. It isn't like a loss of a few million dollars would kill you." He felt Kagome's hand snake into his pocket and the wallet was pulled out. "I've followed your movements for three months and finally had this delightful opportunity to rob you so I took it."

Kagome knew the scowl was prominent on her face but she didn't want to lose the opportunity at hand. If she stepped carefully, she could get this thief on her side; maybe even turn him back to the good side of the law. A thief was useless if not handled properly, or so she'd been told.

"Well, are you going to turn me in, girl?" he asked her when her grip stayed strong against his forearms. "Or are you going to make me eat the wall before you release me?"

Kagome sighed and released him, placing one arm on either side of his body as he turned around, trapping him between her arms, her body, and the wall. Her face was no less angry but she was managing to handle the anger at least a bit.

"Why did you give me my wallet back if you were intent on stealing it then?" she questioned him before he cut her off by pressing his lips to hers. What is it with people and kissing me these days? She thought. Why is everyone so attracted to me?

"You're a beautiful girl, so I thought to give you a chance to realize what I had done. Call it courtesy." She watched his facial expression go from one of disdain to liking in an instant and his deep green eyes seemed to shine with purity whereas just a few minutes before they had shone with mischief instead.

It was like looking at one twin and then another and noticing the similarities and differences except instead she was looking at one person only. "I'm sorry miss, but is there a reason you're trapping me against the wall?"

Kagome noticed that even his tone of voice changed. Where before his tone had been a deep sensual baritone capable of sending any woman's hormones into overdrive, this voice had more of a boyish quality and she realized the man before her was much younger than he seemed.

Originally she had thought him to be in his late twenties despite his young looks, but she figured he could only be in his early teens like his image portrayed.

"What the heck? You stole my wallet, that's why!" she snarled at him. "I really should throw you in jail for playing stupid."

Inappropriately she thought about Sesshoumaru and her thoughts wandered to whether or not the demon had gone to find the rapist. She hoped he hadn't. She hoped he left it to her to deal with.

Shortly after the vehicle entered Raspuit, Kagome thought over what her new companion had said about spirits given the chance at a second life. She was silent in the vehicle while her mind made a list of what she'd heard.

This Shuichi character was two souls in one human body. One soul was that of a demon thief who had sought to combine his soul with a woman only instead the woman had been pregnant and he'd been forced into the child's body.

The second soul was that of a human boy who was nothing more than a sixteen year old who just recently received his driver's license. She knew she would have to find another person to play the part of her significant other but she found she didn't really care.

She found it rather humorous that she'd originally thought him to be ten years older than he really was but she figured anything had to be possible if an insane gold skinned woman was able to kidnap sixty odd students from the Shrine garden.

"We're almost there." Shuichi's voice was quiet and yet it seemed almost like a shout amongst the soft hum of the car. "Thank you for not pressing charges. I'm sorry for what Youko tried to do."

Kagome nodded and her thoughts wandered. Did this mean that anyone would have a second chance at life? Would her father have a second chance at life like Youko did, or was the boy—Shuichi—lying to her?

He very well could be lying. He had taken her wallet from her hand right under her nose so lying shouldn't be too difficult a task. She imagined that anyone would do whatever they could just to get out of jail and stay out of it.

But the story seemed to fit the situation. The voice change, the expression differences, the initial confusion; to her this seemed to fit with multiple personalities. She thought of how she had the impression of looking at twins when she watched his face change expressions so quickly.

"Tell me, Shuichi"—he interrupted her to correct her. "Shuichi is in the back. I'm Youko now."

With a sigh of exasperation at the look of pure amusement on his face she continued, making an adjustment to her words. "Alright then, Youko, if you're sixteen, why aren't you in school? Generally when a child graduates early they're forced to go to a primary school."

Primary schools was often the term used to indicate college. She watched the expressions on his face carefully but could only see half of him considering he was facing the road. The eye that she could see was half-lidded and his lip was curled up in a smile. She wasn't so sure she liked the look on his face.

"There is nothing more ludicrous than sitting in a classroom learning shit that I have already lived through. The 100-year war, I participated in." Shuichi's face—or should she say Youko's face?—was lit up with what seemed to be remembrance as he explained himself to her.

"Even the boy agreed with me. So we took off. Unfortunately, working in the Decoloratio Venalicium doesn't always have perks because we had unlimited information at our access and it was because of that the boy learned of his mother taking ill.

"The initial operation costs approximately one hundred sixty thousand dollars and the two secondary operations that she'll need will cost about two hundred thousand dollars each."

Kagome nodded her understanding. The alien soul— Youko—wanted to keep Shuichi happy and in order to do that he needed to abide by certain rules. Shuichi's mother was obviously one of the boy's happy points.

To allow the mother to die would mean the boy most likely lapsing into depression in which case he couldn't live to his own full potential. After you stripped everything down to the essentials, it could be seen as self-advancement for the demon spirit to keep the mother alive.

"I am guessing the mother took ill only a few months ago?"

With a nod of his head, he continued again in his deep baritone voice. "You guessed it. In came you, recent heir to a multibillion dollar estate. You can guess my thoughts from there."

"It's not hard to guess your thoughts, but it is hard trying to figure out whether or not you're lying to me. If you could simply take my wallet from me right under my nose, I don't know what there is to stop you from making all this up?"

She couldn't stop her thoughts from wandering to her father yet again. She wanted to see him but they were in Raspuit and she had to get Kanna. Her father wasn't just going to pop off the face of the earth just because she waited a few extra days to go see him. She was sure he wouldn't die before he saw her again.

"You seem distracted, Miss Higurashi. Is something the matter," he chuckled then at the irony of his own words, "other than the fact that I am a thief?"

"You're still Youko, right?" At his nod, she took a deep breath and continued as thoughts popped into her head of a woman lying on a hospital bed getting a sheet put over her head. "Are you sure the woman is even alive still? If you can prove it to me, I'll pay for these operations."

His eyes widened but he didn't take them off the road. Kagome saw the remains of many car accidents out of her window and then the police station came into view. Kanna was barely visible in the snow, her long platinum blond hair swaying in the breeze like a drunken fool swaying after a hard night of partying.

She showed no emotion at all on her face but sat as still as a statue on the steps to the police station. "If you want to see the boy's mother, she's at the hospital here in Raspuit. The boy's father died a few years ago so if you could keep the woman alive we both would be greatly in your debt."

Kagome thought of the irony of how unlikely that seemed to be. But perhaps the demon spirit was telling the truth? "I'll let you go on ahead to the hospital then." Kagome checked to make sure she had her wallet and everything in it before shutting the car door.

She was rewarded with a snicker from the boy behind the wheel but it didn't bother her. "I'll catch a taxi to the hospital and if you aren't there, you'd best keep an eye over your shoulder boy because I'll quickly be on your tail's end. Little fox." He seemed to like the nickname she gave him as she closed the door.

"Kagome!" Kanna's voice was anguished and cracked from many shed tears and that bothered Kagome greatly whereas the snicker hadn't bothered her. She turned to find Kanna was running towards her as fast as her legs would carry her and soon had a young teenager hugging her as though she were a lifeline.

She wrapped her arms around the young fifteen year old in a form of comfort and both heard and felt the sobs ring in the air.

"Baby girl, it's okay. I'm here. Shh." She said, trying to comfort Kanna. Her mind went to how different in height Shuichi and Kanna were yet they were nearly the same age. Kanna was barely four feet ten; Shuichi (nearly as tall as Sesshoumaru) was five feet ten.

Sesshoumaru was five feet eleven. But Shuichi was still three inches taller than Kagome and an inch taller than Kohaku and Souta so she figured she should only speak for herself.

"I thought you would never come; I was scared! I don't want to be alone; will you please take me home?"

Kagome had to loosen Kanna's grip or be suffocated and the latter prospect wasn't something she admired. "Calm down, Baby girl. I'm taking you home with me; you're not going to be alone I promise. We just have to go inside and finish filling out the legal documents, alright?"

With a few leftover sniffles, the girl wiped her tears and then clung to Kagome's arm. Kagome looked around. There were definitely the remains of a blizzard in Raspuit with three feet of snow to either side of the pathways.

The snow plow kept going back and forth in the police parking lot, salting the paths and plowing small piles of snow that came off cars. "I'll have to use that hand later you know." She told the girl but Kanna just shook her head in reply. What the reply meant, Kagome wasn't sure but she didn't ask either.

Inside the building Kagome saw policemen and women spattered haphazardly throughout the main room. Several men and women were chatting to each other about either personal business or police business and several were talking on phones.

Some were speaking to people while filling out reports, and some were tossing dirty rags back and forth. Kagome had never found the actual police business very appealing because she would basically be confined to a single building and town at one particular time. She liked her job because she did what she wanted and that was that.

Kanna led Kagome to a small room off the main room and Kagome took note of the disheveled state of the room. There were two desks in the room, both equally piled with paperwork galore and a fax machine in the corner on a small stand.

The dim lighting of the room seemed to brighten as Kanna entered and Kagome realized that it was because the glow was reflecting off the white of her clothing, hair, and face.

A man sat at one of the desks and a woman sat at the other. A bright red-headed curly haired woman stood in front of he man's desk and the man was looking rather annoyed. Kagome found herself confused when she recognized the woman as Lea Saeko, the cousin she still didn't believe she had.

"Wait, aren't you a substitute teacher, Lea?" she asked and the older woman turned to face her. When Kagome saw the Private Investigators badge she blushed. "Well, I suppose that explains something..."

Lea sent a grin at Kagome and shrugged. "Glad to see you follow my footsteps unconsciously, cousin." Kagome felt very subconscious of herself at that very moment. Her outfit seemed much underrated compared to the business suit skirt that Lea wore, though Lea's outfit seemed very unconventional for the job track she'd chosen. "Kagome Higurashi, this is Hamina Toshu. Toshu, this is multibillionaire Kagome Higurashi."

"Thanks for advertising me, Lea." Kagome said dryly as Lea made to leave the room. Her dark blue eyes clashed with Lea's bright blue ones for a moment and it brought a snort out of Toshu. It was clear that his opinion was not very high for Lea. Kagome couldn't blame him of course; she barely knew Lea and her opinion wasn't very high on the fondness meter either.

Kagome turned her attention to Toshu as he spoke in a clear voice. "I don't give a damn who you are or how much money you have. Where's this supposed significant other you said you were going to bring?"

To say that Toshu was annoyed would be the understatement of the century and Kagome could hardly fathom why. Kanna was a good girl; Kagome had no doubt that Kanna would cause as little trouble as possible. That was very different than Shuichi who seemed the type to live to cause as much trouble as possible.

Kagome shrugged. "I never said that, only that I do have a significant other. You've got me here and it only took me nearly nine hours to make the trip. Now, get on with this. I promised my mother I'd be back home tonight." The phones began to ring in the room and the woman picked it up. Kagome ignored her as she talked briskly to the person on the other end and then hang up and leave the room.

The next hour of Kagome's life was spent talking to Toshu and answering questions about her dating habits, parent's lives, and more personal questions than she could even hope to begin to describe. She found herself wondering why in the world she had ever offered to come get Kanna but one look at the sad teens' face made her return her attention to Toshu's questions feeling much different about the situation and very glad that she was doing something for Kanna. After all, it wouldn't do to have Kagura and Kanna separated again.

Throughout the entire ordeal, the tiny Kanna sat on Kagome's lap as though if she moved an inch Kagome would disappear into thin air.

After the second hour had collapsed, Kanna was fast asleep and Kagome heard the movement of people entering the room behind her. She ignored the woman as she spoke to someone before replacing herself comfortably in her desk chair.

Just when Kagome thought the procedure would never end, the man stood and said, "Well, that's it then." He then turned to the woman's desk and put the file of paperwork from Kagome's adoption of Kanna on her desk. After a moment, the two were in deep quiet conversation.

Kagome shook Kanna to wake the sleepy girl. Her legs had fallen asleep but by the time Kanna had crawled off her lap the tickle was endurable. "Get your stuff, Baby girl. We've got a long trip ahead of us. Did you need to get any clothes from home? Anything special?"

"No, mum." The words sent Kagome reeling off her chair from shock and Kanna gave her a weird sleepy stare. Kagome heard laughter and turned to find Shuichi behind her sitting on a chair. "Did you lose your family too?" Kanna asked him quietly.

"Shuichi?" Kagome's eyes were wide and she wasn't sure if she was awake or dreaming. Had she fallen asleep with Kanna? Certainly Toshu's voice had been a boring drawl but had he really been that boring?

"Yes, Miss Kagome?" Shuichi's boyish voice held a hint of sadness in it but it was well hidden behind his laughing expression. "Did you need help getting off the floor?"

Kagome ignored his clever remark and instead sighed. She wasn't stupid; it was rather obvious the reason why Shuichi was in a child services department. "Shuichi..."

" Youko." The boyish voice was gone, replaced by the deep baritone of the demon spirit inside him. Kagome had no doubt any longer of the two separate spirits. She ran her hands through her hair and heard Toshu sit back down at his desk with new paperwork, shuffling papers before turning curious eyes on the woman on the floor. "His mother passed away only moments after he arrived. The boy has no other family... care to help?"

"Mum, I'm ready." Kanna sat down in her seat as though she expected it would be a while before they left. Kagome gave the young teen girl a smile before standing and brushing the dust and dirt from her pants. Help me, any God who might listen. Kagome pleaded in her mind. I'm about to attempt the adoption of a thief...

"I feel old." Kagome muttered, scratching her neck and looking at Toshu. He had gone back to his work and was completely ignoring her. Kagome sighed and gave Toshu another minute to work before slapping her hand down on his desk.

"Do you realize the implications you're giving me? You're not very polite to ignore me and your snapping at Lea earlier was very uncalled for." She had gotten the desired reaction from him. His head snapped up, his brown eyes were on alert, and his attention was all hers.

The woman at the desk in the room was also at attention but slowly she realized the irritation was not meant for her and she simpered before going back to her job.

"You're just as annoying as that Saeko chick is!" Toshu barked at her before standing to be at eye level with Kagome. Kagome was hardly intimidated by the man; she never felt the need to feel inferior to a male just because she was a female.

It was something she learned when she was younger: women would always be and always have been the equal counterpart to man.

"You want annoying, try talking to my mother while she's about to get married." Kagome told him in a quiet commanding voice. If there was anything she was grateful for her mother for, it was her mother teaching her to use her voice to her advantage.

Oh if mama could see me now, Kagome thought wryly. She would never have expected me to use my voice like this, would she?

"No thanks, I'll pass." Toshu growled. "Why are you still here?"

"Now, now, no need to get all hyped up." Kagome grinned and placed one hand on her hip while the other moved to rest just above her navel. She felt a clump of her hair drop over her shoulder and in the corner of her eye she saw Kanna watching her with a sad smile.

No doubt Kanna was thinking of three people in particular but was trying to make the best of what she had. Kanna was strange, accepting Kagome as her mother so quickly but perhaps she was just waiting for an excuse to call Kagome mother?

"Thank you for always being like a mommy to me and Kagura. I know you're younger than Kagura, but I know she looks to you for guidance and a role model just as much as I do..." The words, as she recalled them, startled her as much as they had when she first heard them.

Perhaps Kanna didn't feel the sibling relationship that Kagome had assumed she felt. Perhaps it was more of a mother-child bond she had with the snowy haired girl?

She pulled herself back to the present and gave Toshu a smile. The image of him squirming uncomfortably where he stood was what she was met with and she almost burst into laughter. Just at that moment she had felt like Kagura looked when Kagura was giving a person an "annoyed" glance. "Shuichi Minamino. Where do you intend to send him?" Kagome asked Toshu.

Toshu fumbled for a moment as he tried to settle himself back in his chair. Kagome was intimidating him and she knew she was; she wasn't going to change it either. It wasn't hurting him to be a little nervous of a woman and as far as she had seen, he had tried to intimidate her.

He was the type of person who felt they could dominate over the female gender without even trying. His hands shook and he licked dry lips as he opened a file and quickly scanned its contents.

"He'll probably go to a foster home?" Toshu said, his voice cracking and making the words hard to decipher. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Since he has no family, he'll go to a foster home and if one cannot be provided then he will go to an orphanage."

Kagome quirked an eyebrow at Toshu, "Ah ah," she told him, shaking her head. "Wrong answer."

He bowed his head over his paperwork and nodded. "Okay, I'll fill the paperwork out." He gasped. Kagome felt like a million dollars at that moment. She wanted to laugh but it would be inappropriate considering the circumstances.

She couldn't wait to tell her father all about the good news. She wondered if he'd be proud of her for helping two people and she knew she felt proud of herself for doing it.

Her cell phone began ringing insistently and she answered it after checking the ID on her phone. With a wink sent in Kanna's direction, she placed the phone to her ear and stepped out of the small room. "Interrupt me and I'll scream, Kagura." She said into the phone.

"Um, okay..? Where are you?" Kagura sounded confused.

"Erg! I said I'd scream if you interrupted me, and you did! I couldn't even say my greeting! 'This is Kagome Higurashi, what can I do for you?' Is it that hard to wait until I finish?"

Kagome ran a frustrated hand through her hair, deciding it was definitely "interrupt Kagome day". After all, everyone was doing it! No, she thought with a groan, its conformist day. That's even worse!

"Look, 'Gome, I really am starting to worry. Sammy said you left at like eight or nine this morning or something and your mother said to call you. It's going on nine o'clock and no one has seen or heard from you. Where are you?"

Kagome politely waited until Kagura had stopped ranting before calmly explaining the events regarding Kanna, Shuichi, and Sammy. She knew she could trust Kagura, and since it was getting later at night, she wanted someone to stay with Sammy.

She knew very well she wouldn't be there at all that night. Kagura's silence was one of forced stun. "—and so, considering the events, I'd like you to just stay with Sammy and be patient okay? I've taken care of Kanna—she's in my custody. Basically, I adopted her."

She had expected Kagura to yell about how unfair it was and question why they hadn't contacted her, but Kagura instead was heard to sniffle. "They must have seen how when I was fifteen...I got into doing some dangerous things. I did drugs and hung out with some dangerous people. I was sent to juvenile detention three times and then jail for six months. But thank you, Kagome."

Again, someone was thanking Kagome for something she was doing only because she knew it was the right thing. She believed that fate had a hand in her life and was testing her in times like these. "For what? Why are you thanking me?"

"You're such a great friend. If I lost Kanna, I don't know what I would do. I really admire you..."

"Don't thank me, Fay. Do you want to talk to Kanna?"

"Mmhm. Please."

Kagome peered around the corner into the room. Kanna was hugging her mirror tight to her stomach and looked to be half asleep. As soon as Kagome held out the phone to her, she slid from the chair, holding her mirror carefully as she walked over and took the phone. Kagome hugged Kanna's shoulders before going back into the room.

"Please, all I need is for you to sign the documents. They're exactly the same as the ones for the girl that you signed. I see no reason for you to go through the interview again, since I doubt anything has changed in half an hour's time..."

Toshu was obviously in a hurry. He obviously didn't normally stay so late in the office. The woman was just packing herself up to go home.

Kagome took his pen and sat at the desk to sign the documents. "I owe you a debt of gratitude, Hamina Toshu." Kagome told him as she signed the last of the paperwork.

"If you ever need assistance"—she took one of his business cards from the holder on the desk and wrote her cell phone number on the back of it, her name right above the number—"here's my number." She gave him a grin when he hesitated to take the card. "Relax—unless you rigged the cards, I doubt its going to bite you. About the worst it can do to you is give you a paper cut."

He laughed nervously and took the card. "Um, thanks. I think. But I work in a police station, why would I need your help?"

Kagome shrugged. "I keep my line of work in the type of things that the police won't handle or is to inept to handle." She stood and flashed him a smile. "You might want to rethink how you deal with women. You'll never get yourself a girl if you continue to think you're above them. Practice your techniques on Lea. Ready to go, Shuichi?" she asked, turning to him.

Kanna was closing the phone with a smile on her face. Kagome noticed that Shuichi had grabbed Kanna's backpack and coat and was helping the girl into the coat.

"It's Youko, and yes, we are." Whether or not he was talking about himself and Kanna or the two separate spirits, Kagome wasn't sure but she knew it was getting later and later.

She decided that considering Shuichi's car was much better than Genkai's old one, she'd drive to Genkai's and they would stay there for the night. Then, whether Shuichi liked it or not, they would trade cars with Genkai taking the old one away.

The car ride to Genkai's was silent. Kanna had fallen asleep in the back of the car, Shuichi's attention was drifting from one thing to another and his eyelids kept falling down as though he was having trouble staying awake.

Kagome herself wasn't very tired but her neck was getting sorer and sorer as the minutes ticked by. It had been aching when she woke up and it was just getting worse.

"Baby girl, wake up." Kagome told the sleepy girl, getting out from the driver's seat. Shuichi got out and opened the back seat door, unbuckling Kanna and easing her out. He helped her stand and then lifted her with one hand and arm supporting her knees and the other supporting her back and head.

"Or that works." Kagome muttered. She locked the car up and led the way up the snowy staircase to the temple at the top.

Genkai met them at the entrance, which was no surprise to Kagome. The elderly lady always knew who was there and who wasn't, when someone had arrived and when someone left. It was due to the priestess powers that Genkai harbored. They had diminished slightly but not enough to make it so Genkai was powerless.

"Kagome Higurashi." Genkai said with a small smile. "You never know who you find begging at my door; this much is clear to me now if it had never been before."

"Working on your poetry, are you, Genkai?" Kagome said quietly with a laugh. "Mind if we stay the night?" She ran a hand through her hair and winced when she realized finally that her hair was getting slightly greasy. She hadn't washed her hair the night before, which was probably partly the cause.

Genkai snorted her breath showing in the air. "Come then. And who do I have the privilege to hosting this night?" She led the way into the temple and Kagome wondered how the courtyard had been shoveled. Genkai certainly couldn't have done it herself and the stairs as well or the elderly woman would no doubt have thrown her back out.

That wasn't to say that Genkai was weak by any means, but anyone who shoveled that much snow, three feet of it at a time, would no doubt have killed them whether they were young or old.

"I guess these two would be my children." Kagome watched the familiar halls pass by and slowly the old grandfather clock she remembered to be at the end of the hall to her, Kagura, and Hiei's room appeared.

They rounded the corner and she heard the familiar chime ticking of the grandfather clock. She loved that clock, she really did. It was a source of familiarity and wisdom to her.

"I recognize her. Kanna I presume? Poor girl." Genkai said. Genkai waved to the three doors in the hall and her eyes came to rest on Shuichi. "You may take the far one, Kanna the middle, Kagome you can have your old room. I'd like to talk to you though, Kagome." Genkai walked off, obviously expecting Kagome to follow.

Shuichi gave Kagome a confused look, as though he was unsure of what he should do. Kagome gave him a warm smile. "Just set Kanna in the middle room and then you can go rest in the far room. I'll wake you in the morning when its time to leave." As soon as he nodded his understanding, Kagome hurried after Genkai.

"How is it you come by two children?" Genkai asked her when they were both situated in the temple's kitchen, drinking tea and eating Genkai's homemade cookies. "If I recall, when you left here three months ago you promised me you would not tie yourself down with children."

Genkai seemed rather calm, as though she had known all along that something of this sort would happen. Kagome didn't expect any less from Genkai.

"'The past will come to haunt you; you must always be careful what you say or do.' Doctor Kali Onigumo, researching ties between past and present." Kagome quoted her mother. Genkai nodded when she remembered the book that mentioned that.

Kagome laughed, her cheeks turning red with embarrassment. She needed to be careful what promises she made these days. It seemed some sort of sick twist of fate was making it so she couldn't keep them. "Well, anyway, Kanna's foster family died and Shuichi's mother died. I couldn't just leave them. When I heard Kagura on the phone...her voice...it made me realize I definitely did the right thing."

"Have you visited your own family yet? Or are you still avoiding them?" Genkai initiated the conversation that she knew Kagome would have preferred to leave alone. Genkai's hand went up to run through her thinning soft pink hair. Kagome knew the color was natural. It was just as natural as Souta's eyes were.

He was completely Martian; it was the priest power inside him that gave him the unnatural coloring. Likewise went for Genkai; it was the priestess power inside her that gave her the unnatural coloring.

"Tomorrow I'm going to go visit my father. I've seen my mother briefly for a few lunches..." The pink tinge on Kagome's face matched the pink color of Genkai's hair and Kagome found herself trying not to continue shifting uncomfortably.

"Don't wait too long, Kagome. You never know how long a person has left in this world." After the initial warning, Kagome found herself more comfortable around the old woman again.

The conversation slipped between weather, life in general, Kagome's new adoptive children, Kagome's business, Genkai's temple, and back to the weather and how many accidents there recently were.

Genkai had three new orphans, staying in the same rooms as Kagome and her "adoptive children" were staying. Genkai had figured she would have more company—though how Genkai knew this ahead of time Kagome had no idea—and had lain out futons in the rooms.

"—and so I was thinking you could take Shuichi's car off our hands and give us your old junker." Kagome said after a lull in the conversation. They were both on their third cup of tea and the plate of cookies was nearly gone.

Kagome watched Genkai get up and refill the plate of cookies from a bucket filled with them. A grin spread across her face at the memories. When Genkai cooked, she really went all out. No doubt the big freezer housed at least ten more gallon ice cream pails of the cookies.

"You shouldn't offer me the boy's car. You're well on your way to starting your first family issue." Genkai said wisely. She replaced the bucket back in the freezer once the plate was filled and poured them both some more hot water for a fourth cup of tea. "I remember when I bought that car. It was the hottest car in town."

Kagome snorted into her tea at the thought of the old station wagon being the "hottest car in town". Genkai gave her a miffed look and said, "Well it was!"

Kagome took a cookie and stared intently at it. "I highly doubt that sad excuse for a station wagon was anything except annoying." She muttered. "Besides, Shuichi will have to give up the car either way because I'm not paying to transport it to Sunset. If he wants, I'll buy him a new car when we get to Sunset."

"I heard that, you know." Genkai told her. "I might be old, but I can still hear just fine. It was not annoying." She reached to snatch the cookie from Kagome, but Kagome took a bite out of it, grinning. "Oh, you...you..."

Kagome laughed. "What, cat got your tongue, Genkai?" she asked with a happy smile. "And you know what else? The car has a back seat! You could fit six people in there if you squished in."

Genkai looked to be considering the idea. She knew her old junker car wasn't going to last very long. She'd have to get a new one soon anyway and it would be nice to have a car with a back seat.

With three orphans, she didn't like to have to shove the smallest in the trunk every time they went somewhere together. "Have you talked to the boy about it?" she casually sipped her tea as though she weren't seriously considering the trade.

"Why would I do that? If I'm to be a proper mother, shouldn't I do things without asking my children first?" she chuckled when Genkai gave her a withering look. "No, though, I haven't. And it isn't because I want to make him mad.

"I don't think he'll put up much of a fight for the car though. I think he understands the situation. What I think is really going to tick him off is when I tell him he's going to be enrolled in school again."

Genkai took a cookie and broke a piece of it off. "Why should that bother the child? Schooling is important." She ate the piece of cookie and broke off another.

"Apparently he ran away. I have no clue when it was he ran away and decided to stop going to school, but he thinks he doesn't need a high school diploma or college education. He's going to be sorely mistaken because I'll ground him if he doesn't go. If he runs away from me, I'll track him down and drag him back, then ground him, and make him go."

At this, Genkai let out a peel of laughter as contagious as the flu. Kagome laughed with her, realizing how ridiculous she had sounded.

It was getting very late, nearing two AM, and Kagome wasn't tired at all but Genkai was looking like she could use some sleep. "I'll let you sleep on the idea of the car, Genkai. I'm going to go back to Raspuit and get Kanna's stuff from her foster parents' house. I know there are some important things there still. I'll be back in a few hours."

"Kagome, drive carefully. The last thing those kids need is another dead parent." To emphasize her point, Genkai drew a hand across her throat in a slicing motion.

Kagome gave Genkai a hug. "Hey, no worries. I'm not about to die until I catch a certain gold skinned woman anyway. But don't tell my mother that." She winced at the thought of what her mother would say if she knew.

"If you die, I'll tell!" Genkai threatened with a yawn. "Now go if you must. I realize I'll not be able to keep you here even if I want."

* * *

Onyo had pulled her hair out of its perfect bun again. Onyo was one of the students at the Serenity Ballet Academy and he was really mean to her all the time. Rin always said that a boy was mean because he liked a girl, but she could hardly believe it.

She was imperfect. Her hair never liked to stay in the perfect bun, the mask they wore on the stage when they performed never stayed on and almost always fell off during the performance, and her dreams to become a star ballet dancer seemed so far fetched that she wanted to cry.

She pushed her finger farther back into her mouth and forced the food she'd eaten back up into the bowl. That was another thing about her imperfection. She was too fat. She was too pale. Her brown eyes were too dull and ordinary. Boys like Onyo liked unordinary girls and she was everything ordinary.

She rested her head on the toilet bowl, coughing slightly as her stomach pained her from the forced vomiting. She didn't understand why she felt she needed to be perfect but she did. She heard the door to the bathroom slap open and her head shot up. A girl's voice came through the stall wall next to her and Raine could hear sobs.

"I want to go home!" The girl called angrily. "Cory promised he'd help me get home but how can a dead man help me do anything?" Raine heard the tell-tale sounds of claws scratching the stall wall. There was a crack and a yelp.

A piece of claw fell on the floor and bounced to rest next to Raine's leg. It looked like a regular human fingernail, only slightly thicker and deadly sharp. She wiped her face on her sleeve and flushed the toilet, exiting the stall.

Knocking on the other girl's stall door, she quietly called out, "Um, are you okay in there?" Soon the stall door was opened and Raine found herself looking at a pretty young girl with strange markings on her face.

"Sorry I'm crying." The girl sniffed. "I just miss my brothers. I don't want to leave them alone with Nekura, my step-mother, because when I'm not there she"—the dream ended when Raine felt herself startled awake.

She stared up into her foster mother's serious face wondering for a moment if Curinrin had ever harbored such a serious look before bolting upright, narrowly missing her mother's nose in the process. "Mum, you're down here?" she looked around at all the electronic equipment around the room that were so obviously illegal. Her mother didn't seem very disturbed by it.

"Shh, Raine, my dear. You must quickly hide the Motshuria girls!" when Raine would have tried to question Curinrin, the elderly woman placed a hand to Raine's mouth. "No talking, just do it. The police want to search the house for them! They're waiting outside!"

Raine scrambled to her feet, getting tangled in her blankets in her haste. She tripped over several things before grabbing up a small container. Curinrin went to wake Rin up and told her the same thing. She then hurried back upstairs. "Rin," Raine hissed to her sister, "get Kikyou and Kaede into the hidden room." Rin was already doing just that.

Raine was hurriedly opening the container and taking out the few precious inventions she'd made to easily hide large objects. She aimed for her computer workstation and it disappeared into thin air. She did that with several other objects including Rin's bed, the dresser that she kept most of her tools and illegal objects in, and a class A android she'd been working on.

"Hold this and stay quiet." She told Kikyou, handing Kikyou the container with her filled inventions in it. "Neither of you makes a sound...Don't worry, you're safe with us. I promise."

Raine helped Rin replace the hidden door soundlessly and then hurried upstairs. There was nothing Raine or Rin would be able to do about the fact that there were electronics of varying sorts everywhere but at least that wasn't completely condemning.

Raine's mind was not centered on any one thing. The dream was bothering her because she was awoken so abruptly that she couldn't remember it. Her mind didn't stop there. Curinrin acted like she had known about Raine and Rin. "She's normally a ditz." Raine said frustrated under her breath. There was also the fact that the police were coming in the middle of the night to search the house. Did they expect that Kikyou and Kaede had come here? She wondered.

"Rainy, Riny, come sit down by your ol' pappy!" Harvey called from the couch. It was three AM and yet he was still wide awake.

Raine felt a scowl mar her features. "Stop calling me Rainy." She told him. She couldn't remember why, but for some reason it bothered her recently to be called Rainy. She didn't like the tug at her memories that seemed to occur each time someone called her that.

* * *

There was a For Sale sign out on the lawn of Kanna's house already. She didn't have to worry about getting into the house. Toshu had given her a key to the house with the instructions to just leave the key on the kitchen counter when she was done. Anything that she didn't take was to be sold with the house.

Kagome marveled at the cleanliness of the house. It was a small two-story house with a tiny lawn and an even smaller driveway. She took her shoes off at the door and hung her jacket up on the coat rack, turning the lights on so she could see where she was going. The light switch was easy to find at least: it was right next to the coat rack.

Kagome easily found Kanna's foster parent's room and looked around for a moment. The room was as neat as the rest of the house. Kanna's room was just down the hall from that.

There was not a speck of dust anywhere but this was expected. Kanna hated dust because it tended to mar a white surface. White was Kanna's favorite color. Obviously?

Kagome looked under the bed and in the closet for suitcases, finding three of them all varying sizes. She picked out a few of the best outfits in the closet and the shoes that matched, putting them in a suitcase.

The rest of the suitcase was filled with Kanna's favorite items such as the white bear that lay on the bed, the photos off the wall, the jewelry box from the desk, and the few books that Kanna owned. Kagome was careful not to pack too much, knowing that there was going to be limited space at the apartment, but that didn't matter. She was sure she knew what Kanna would want.

She was especially careful to grab Kanna's notebooks out of her desk, the thumb drives, and the laptop that Kagome had bought for Kanna only a few months before. Kanna loved to write—Kagome wouldn't be the one to take that away.

When Kagome opened the top middle desk drawer, she was met with a surprise. It was the start to a manuscript of Kanna's, entitled "White Void". The title of the book was catching. It brought many questions to Kagome's mind, one of them being aren't voids black?

She pulled out the chair at the desk and started reading...and didn't stop until she had finished reading the entire thing. The manuscript was not yet complete, of course, but so far Kagome found it was a very intriguing story.

Granted, there were a few places where it got to be rather tedious, some of it was rather corny, and some of it was just using the wrong word at the wrong time but Kagome got a clear picture of what Kanna meant most times.

Every author, especially young ones, could use work. That was what the extra schooling was for: so that children with talents such as Kanna could go to learn what they loved to do. It was obvious that Kanna had potential.

Kagome looked at the clock and sighed. She couldn't say she was the fastest reader, but she usually never took two hours to read something that was only approximately thirty pages long. She carefully put the manuscript into the suitcase and did another check around the room to be sure she wasn't missing anything.

Once she was sure she had every nook and cranny of the room picked over, she went into the foster parents' bedroom and looked over it to be sure there was nothing that Kanna might have wanted.

Seeing nothing of interest, she went back into the hall. She found the bathroom but there was nothing except towels and bathroom essentials. Kagome could buy Kanna clothes and bathroom essentials easier than trying to figure out which toothbrush was Kanna's.

She went and zipped the suitcase, taking it down the stairs. The clock at the base of the stair chimed the eighth hour after morning and she searched the kitchen for some paper and a pen.

As she was finishing off her note to the realtor, she heard keys jingling in the door lock and looked in the direction of the door. In came the realtor in charge of selling the house. She looked as untidy as Kagome felt, which was pretty bad. It seemed to Kagome that the woman had just jumped out of bed, thrown on some clothes in a hurry, and raced over.

Kagome quirked an eyebrow at the realtor and the woman laughed hesitantly. "And you are?" the woman asked quietly, taking her shoes off and extending her hand to Kagome. "I'm Janice, the realtor, by the way."

"I figured as much." Kagome told her. She extended her hand and shook the woman's firmly but not too firm. Both of their hands were cold, but that was something that couldn't be helped. "I'm Kagome Higurashi."

"Ah! You must be Kanna Irrikotsu's new mother. She's a sweet girl. I'm sorry I'm such a mess," the woman murmured while patting down her sleep ruffled hair, "I received a phone call that said someone was in the house though, and I'd hate for a burglar to have come in."

Kagome nodded her understanding. "I assure you, I'm no burglar. Toshu gave me a key so I could get some of Kanna's things." She picked the key up from where she'd placed it on the counter and held it out to the realtor who took it and stuck it in her pocket.

"I may stop by yet again today, just so Kanna can have another look around to make sure there is nothing I missed. Would you mind being here for an hour and a half or so?" Kagome asked with as bright a smile as her now exhausted mind could muster.

"I certainly can be!" Janice nodded exuberantly. Kagome knew that Janice had indeed gotten plenty of sleep.

Kagome knew even before she stepped foot on the steps up to the temple that something was wrong but she ignored the pesky feeling. She had felt the feeling so many times in the past and nothing had happened that she was skeptical it was anything serious. She chalked it off to her nerves at going on a plane yet again later that day, or else she told herself that it was just her nerves about seeing her father later that day. She never expected to find what she had.

Kagome looked from one orphan to the next, from her 'son' to her 'daughter' and back to the three orphans. "Making friends already, aren't we?" she drawled as she felt the feeling subside.

She heard Genkai's laughter and saw the woman come into the room with a bucket of ice and a tray of Band-Aids of varying types. "Genkai, tell me why these children look like they've befriended the makers of orange juice pulp?"

Kagome noticed the discoloration to the five children's faces and recalled the years of black eyes and bloody noses and split lips that she'd had growing up. "You should see the other guys!" one of the orphans blurted out with pride.

Soon Kagome had the whole story and she wasn't sure whether to be angry at Shuichi and Kanna participating in a fight or be proud that the two had apparently defended Kagome when some kids had called her a "whore".

These kids were many years Shuichi and Kanna's seniors being no less than twenty and no older than twenty five, but apparently they remembered Kagome in school and once they heard the news they went to heckle the 'children' that Kagome had adopted.

How the kids had learned so quickly that Kagome adopted was yet to be determined. Kagome couldn't figure out how news seemed to travel so quickly in a small town.

Kagome learned that the orphans were involved in the fight just by being there and thus they too were beaten up. As soon as Genkai had come upon the scene, the older participants had fled and Genkai had scolded the five for involving themselves in the dangers of what she considered to be "cat fighting".

It was a funny notion considering Genkai had run a dojo when she was younger, before she transformed the temple-dojo into a temple-orphanage.

"Genkai, thanks for your help." Kagome said, watching Shuichi load the single suitcase of Kanna's into the trunk of the junker car. Shuichi had not made a single complaint about how his car was going to be the one to stay. She hoped that was a step forwards not a step backward.

Genkai gave Kagome a hug and Kagome returned it. "Don't worry, young Kagome. Motherhood will suit you." She chuckled, inviting Kagome to share the joke. Kagome was far to tired to grasp the joke by the handle and understand it. "Here, cookies for the trip." Genkai pushed a gallon tub of cookies into Kagome's hands.

Kagome gave her a tired grin, taking the bucket and going to join Shuichi and Kanna. Kanna sat in the middle and mutely leaned against Kagome with her mirror stuck fast in her hands. Quickly the three were off and Kagome began the drive to Raspuit.

Kanna went into the house and filled a small bag up with things she didn't want to leave behind and that went into the trunk. After that, Kagome started for West City. It was time to stop avoiding her father and go visit him.


	14. Fourteenth Chapter

By the time they had reached Tokyo two hours later, both Shuichi and Kanna were fast asleep, exhausted by the thrashing they'd taken and given. It was one o'clock when they entered Tokyo and Kagome took out her phone, calling her mother at a stoplight.

As she listened to the ringing sound she decided upon a scenario that could be the cause of the procrastinated answering. Souta and Kohaku beating each other up to get the phone? No, that was a few days ago. No one home? That seemed more likely. At the eighth ring—the Shrine didn't have an answering machine—she hung up and tried her mother's cell phone.

She only had to wait three rings before she heard her mother's voice on the other end of the line. Her mother's voice rang with good cheer and in the background Kagome heard the tell-tale sounds of a bridal shower. Kagome felt the pangs of guilt hit her gut.

She was supposed to be the maid of honor; where was the honor of being a no-show? She would have to make it up to her mother. "Hello, Kali Onigumo speaking—"

Kagome felt guiltier that she would ask her mother where her father lived. Her mother would think her to be procrastinating even more. "Hey mama." Kagome said quietly. She didn't want to wake either of the sleeping teens.

It was strange to think of them both as her children; she wasn't all that much older than them but for a few years separation.

"Oh, Kagome! Excuse me ladies, I must take this call!" Kagome winced at the happy tone of her mother and wondered how to word it. Her mother answered her question as though she was expecting it though and Kagome didn't even have to ask. It was more of an order coming from her mother.

"Kagome, before you say a word, I want you to turn right back around, head to West City, and get your father. He promised me he'd walk me down the isle and he's not here! He promised he'd come so now it's your job to go fetch him. Whew, now that that's out of the way; how is Kanna? Kagura and your roommate Sammy are here at the Shrine; Sammy's just a pleasure!"

"Oh, um, everything went basically accordingly...though I do have another boy I sort of adopted..." she muttered the second part into the phone, not expecting her mother to hear.

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on which side the situation was viewed from, her mother had excellent hearing.

"Who is the boy?" The background sounds dimmed considerably and Kagome assumed her mother had completely walked away from the group of bridal shower participants.

"Kagura can tell you all about it. Where does father live?" Kagome dug in Kanna's backpack, pulling out a pen. At a stoplight she wrote the address on her arm as her mother gave it to her. "You can count on me, mama." Kagome told the woman.

"I'll bring him back for you. I'll be home late tonight and I'll swing by the Shrine on my way to the apartment so the dress can be fitted. Promise."

"Oh, the ladies are begging me back. I've got to go. See you tonight, swee—" Kagome's phone died just then and she couldn't hear anything more except silence. She stuck the cell in her pocket with a sigh.

Kagome wasn't sure if her mother was distracted by the party or what, but something was bothering her mother. Perhaps it was that her father hadn't shown up when he obviously was going to. Either way, Kagome had his address and was going to bring him home.

She pulled into a gas station, went and bought a city map of West City, and then followed the directions to the apartment building her mother said he was living in.

"Where are we?" Shuichi's boyish voice was back, so Kagome could only assume it was Shuichi talking and not Youko. She knew that would get to be very confusing for a while but eventually she would learn to predict when he would change personalities. Kagome turned the vehicle off and unbuckled. "Miss Kagome?"

"I can't believe my father is living in a shit hole like this!" Kagome whispered. She was horrified. Hadn't she made sure her father had enough money? She'd paid her mother back for every cent she gave him! "Stay here with Kanna, will you?"

She didn't wait for an answer before heading towards the sidewalk path that lead to the ground floor apartments. She was looking for apartment thirty eight. She almost walked right by it until she stopped to look around and found that the apartment the woman was cleaning was indeed thirty eight.

She checked the apartment number on her arm and the one on the door and began to get worried. Had she heard her mother wrong? Did she hear the wrong number?

Standing in the threshold to the room, she peered around the room, looking for any sign of her father. There was none. There was nothing of the cherry mint scent that mysteriously always called to her when she was young...there was nothing of the aftershave that he often used...the room was cold. Cold like death. It made her feel fear. Was her father dead? Would he just pop off the world without saying goodbye?

Well Kagome, a snide voice said in her mind, it's not like the Grim Reaper is very forgiving. I'm sure he had plenty of other people to take—it's a tight schedule you know! Ah! What am I doing cracking jokes in my head? This is most certainly most definitely not the time.

"What can I do yah fer, hun?" the woman cleaning the room asked in Japanese, snapping her gum.

Kagome ignored the woman's rude mannerisms—the degrading "hun" remark and the snapping of the gum—and jumped right into her question. "The man who was living here, Naraku Onigumo was his name right?"

"Sure was, hun."

"Where is he?" Did he leave for Sunset and just have a flight delay or something? Her mother had not mentioned what time or when he was supposed to arrive... She felt her pulse racing in her eardrums. She could hear her fast beating heart steady in her eardrums as well like the sadistic beat to a death march.

"Did he leave for the airport?" Kagome could hear the desperation in her voice and it served to frighten her more. She knew the disease he had made it so he could have died any day. She didn't want him to have died. He couldn't, he just couldn't be dead yet!

The woman gave an icy laugh and it made Kagome feel colder than before, if that was even possible. The ice she felt seemed to go all the way down to her soul and she wasn't sure if she would ever recover from that laugh. "Oh he left alrigh'." The woman sneered.

She was obviously displeased with Naraku for something he'd done. "Never paid his rent, that one. Then he up and left. Well, at least I saw him leave in the body bag. Hmph. Jackass. That's one less cheat in this world. Some boy came to visit him and found him dead. He said he'd take the stuff to the family. We took enough of the finer clothes to pay for the jilted rent and—"

Kagome felt each and every one of the woman's slanderous words like a terrible blow to the gut until she forced herself to block out the woman's voice for her own sake. If asked to recall how she got back to the vehicle and whether or not she thanked the woman for her help, she couldn't do it.

The icy feeling she felt inside was worse than the petrified feeling she always got when she was on a plane. Daddy... The word kept repeating over and over in her head. She'd avoided him for so long that now it was too late.

The maid had given her the news in a terrible manner. She was rude and vulgar about the situation and that made everything so much harder to deal with. She could have at least softened the blow a bit, not acted like Naraku was a complete stranger.

Of course, he no doubt was a complete stranger to the woman and there wasn't much to indicate Kagome's relation to him either. It wasn't like she was wearing a big sign on her forehead saying "Naraku is my father—diss him and die."

Tears coursed down her cheeks and she rested her head on the steering wheel of the old junker vehicle. The news would break to her mother better if it was in person. That meant that she would have to endure the pain alone for the duration of the trip home. She wouldn't try to confide in Shuichi or Kanna. They didn't need to worry about her.

"Are you okay, Miss Kagome?" Shuichi's boyish voice broke through her pained reverie and ripped her back to the real world. Kagome wiped her face off when she realized she was crying. She was still so exhausted. It had been over twenty four hours since she'd slept at all and the blow had been 'below the gut'.

Normally she didn't allow tears to escape the confines of her eyelids, but this was just too much to chew along with the side dish of all the insanity that had happened before that particular moment.

"I'm fine Shuichi. Thanks for your concern. Just a little over tired. I haven't slept in over twenty four hours." She tried at a smile and failed miserably, but was grateful for the excuse anyway. "Let's...go home."

She started the vehicle up but Shuichi unbuckled. His voice became deeper as he spoke to her, opening his door. "You should not be driving."

"Get your ass back in this vehicle now, Shuichi." She snapped, though she didn't mean to get upset at him and she didn't mean to swear. Her father's face as she had seen it last was imprinted in her mind.

She had yet to register the maid saying something about a boy coming to see Naraku. Shuichi didn't listen to her. He walked over to her side of the vehicle and opened the door.

"I know sixty two different ways to render you unconscious and well over two hundred different ways to subdue you; I suggest you calm yourself, Kagome," said that deep voice.

Kagome couldn't help it. She dug her face into his shoulder and cried out her frustration, her tears soaked the collar of his shirt. "I'm such an idiot. I just kept procrastinating until the very last minute and now he's gone! Gone as in I'll never get to tell him how much I loved him and that everything would be alright and that he was the best there ever was..."

She felt Shuichi patting her back comfortingly and it was as though he understood or put two and two together at least.

Kagome wondered if she was going mad. Inside her mind she could hear her father's voice singing to her, apologizing through song. It seemed to fit the situation but it served only to make her cry harder and cling to Shuichi as though he was a lifeline, much like Kanna had clung to her when Kagome was going to adopt the girl.

He wasn't perfect, and she knew that. Who was perfect? Hadn't she learned that no one was perfect when she found out Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were sexually abused by their step-mother? She'd accepted her father for his flaws, even if she'd constantly wished for his death because of those same flaws.

He'd gone mad years ago when he started beating his children and she knew had he meant to do what he'd done, he could have done far more damage than just whip Kagome and Souta's backs with a belt. But he was gone and he couldn't really apologize, could he? He was just...gone.

He had changed, just before it was too late. He had apologized to Kagome while she was in the hospital, and she had assured him that his apology was heard and accepted. After all, anyone no matter who they are or what they did deserved a second chance.

Some just needed more second chances than others. But Kagome doubted that her exhausted mind really believed that she was the reason for his change.

He had said he was sorry, but Kagome knew it was more than that. Something had happened in that one moment's time. He had admitted his soul to her, even unconsciously, and she knew whatever physical pain he had ever put her through was nothing compared to what he would have to endure mentally after finally regaining his sanity and realizing how wronged his children were by him.

She knew he wanted a chance to be a part of their lives but something was pulling him back away, disallowing him from doing just that. For the tears that she had both shed and not shed he grieved.

He was gone now, and he would never again laugh or cry or help Kagome pull pointless little pranks on Souta and Kali. She wanted to giggle her childish high pitched giggle again while he chased her and Souta around the library acting like he couldn't keep up though he could have if he wanted.

She wanted to cry out again while he held her still and put a Band-Aid on her toe after she stubbed it on one of the many stairs in the Shrine. She wanted to scream in frustration when he put shaving cream on her hand while she was sleeping and tickled her nose.

He'd proven he could become a new man and he'd shown Kagome the side she hadn't known still existed. She cried harder as she watched his face float into her vision again.

Whether she was the reason for the changes he'd undergone or not...he still was dead. Nothing could change that now. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered. She just wanted her father back, though that was one wish she would never get no matter how hard she tried, of that she was certain.

Everyone dealt with grief differently. Youko—the demon spirit inside of the boy Shuichi who had lived hundreds of years after the end of the 100-year war and only died fifteen years before—was only just learning this.

The boy, Shuichi, dealt with his sadness over his lost mother by making Youko control their body and retreating into the deep dark recesses of the mind to hide. Kanna dealt with her lost family by holding closer those who she still did have or becoming silent.

Kagome may not normally cry over the loss of something, but fatigue was doing something to her head and made her tear her mind apart in grief.

Youko could not remember a time when he had lost someone he cared about. He had not found love for a mother and father he had hardly known some several hundred years before when they had abandoned him to fend for himself as soon as he was old enough.

He had not found love for any 'significant other'. The only one he had truly ever found he cared for was the boy Shuichi, almost like a sibling relationship.

They shared a physical core for fifteen years. There was nothing about Shuichi that Youko did not know, and the same went likewise.

Youko realized just how different he was then. He learned just what set him apart from everyone else. It was not his age or wisdom or powerful magic over plants.

It was not his cunning or skills in theft and deception. It was that he had never known emotions. How could anyone who had never felt emotion truly know wisdom? In the days when he lived and fought in the 100-year war, he had been a powerful ally and a deadly foe.

None of his enemies could have prepared him for the shock he had just received though. It was a challenging slap in the face and it was definitely not something he could figure to be either good or bad.

Kagome slept most of the plane ride out of pure exhaustion. Shuichi had not been lying when he said he'd followed her for three months. He knew where her apartment was, he knew where the Shrine was, and he knew how to get to Sunset in three and a half hours rather than four.

It was nearing eight PM when they pulled into the town of Sunset and Kagome was barely awake. Kanna was awake and staring into the milky surface of her mirror as though if she stared long enough it would provide answers to questions unanswered.

Kagome could see little worms going past her eyes, sparkly like stars. She could remember her father's eyes were crimson like the bright Earth sands. Were. The word haunted her already. It was past tense, and it made her wince.

"Take a right." She told Shuichi firmly as they neared the crossing point in which they could either turn and go to the Shrine or continue straight and go to her apartment. Once they had turned that particular corner, it was a straight drive out to the Shrine.

If a person missed the Shrine, and Kagome couldn't fathom how anyone could miss the building which spanned four miles, the trip would just take a person right around a very large circle and right back to the Shrine again.

"Just...leave your stuff in the Rent-A-Car." Kagome got out and stumbled slightly, feeling dizzy before her head cleared and she could walk straight again. She felt like she was inebriated but that was no new feeling.

She'd been drunk before—it was nothing big. It was overrated and solved absolutely nothing. At the moment, the "inebriated" state she was in was from lack of sleep and an overwhelming of emotions. Sometimes she hated being the daughter of a shrink; it made her feel like she knew too much.

Kagome looked behind her to see that Shuichi and Kanna were eying her warily, as though afraid she'd fall down at any moment. She gave them a weak grin and led the way up the steps to the courtyard.

The snow in the courtyard was windblown. Kagome smiled up at the "God" tree. The apple tree's branches were bare, but as always it managed to look majestic in any weather.

"Head on in, you two. I'll be right there." Kanna hesitated, but Shuichi rested a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head. "She needs this moment alone." Shuichi whispered in Kanna's ear.

Kanna nodded mutely, though she was clearly confused by the entire act. Kagome had been happy before, and now she looked so sad that it made Kanna want to cry again.

Kagome wasn't sure how long she'd stood there in front of the old apple tree, staring up at the tree's top as though it might provide answers as to why her father had to die before she saw him again, but she knew it must have been quite some time because her brother came outside to take out the trash and found her standing there. As soon as he'd put the trash into the buckets, he walked over to Kagome, standing next to her to look up at the branches. "You're beggin' for a cold." Souta told her. Ironically, she sneezed.

"All those years he spent beating us, I always wished that he would just die." Kagome sobbed as she felt Souta's arms wrap around her shoulders comfortingly. "We both just kept wishing he would just die."

Souta didn't have to ask who she was talking about or why she was bringing the subject up. Even if Hakudoushi had not received the phone call from the Tokyo morgue, it wouldn't have mattered because Kagome had obviously not brought Naraku home which would mean he was no longer alive.

He held his sister in his arms nervously as her words sunk in. It was true; he had wished that Naraku would just die...impale himself... get run over by an elephant... have a house fall on his head... It was humorous at the time, but as he looked back at all the supposedly humorous situations he found he had concocted for Naraku's death, he didn't want to have ever thought of them.

"If I hadn't procrastinated, I might have gotten to say goodbye." Of course, Souta had nothing on Kagome's feelings. Not truly. Kagome was always Naraku's favorite and when they were little, most of what Naraku would do for Souta would be done double for Kagome.

Kagome had always loved Naraku in some deep part in her soul, even when he was beating on her she still loved him. "A few days ago, I would have laughed at the notion that your world could change in an instant...but Souta, it's true. Don't ever believe otherwise."

"Shh...come on, let's go inside. What you need is some of mama's hot cocoa, some clean clothes, and a long bath. Dad's not gone. His presence is inside of you..." Kagome let Souta lead her inside and listened to the boy's voice.

She didn't think Souta realized how much like Naraku he actually sounded. Their voices were near copies of each other. "Come on, just a few more flights of stairs."

She followed Souta up to the third floor, knowing that anyone who saw her would find it strange that tears were coursing down her face. She hardly ever cried. It was just too much to handle Naraku's death.

While Souta ran the bath water and poured in bubbles for Kagome, she sat down on the toilet and began to take off her socks. Her shoes were still by the front door; she'd kicked them off on her way in.

Souta seemed to decide she wasn't moving with enough will on her own, so he pulled her socks off and began unbuttoning her shirt. The movements were nothing at all intimate; they were more superficial than anything. They were done purely to get her to respond to the real world and it worked.

Kagome slapped his hand away. "I can do it just fine." She told her brother. She stood and turned her back to him, pulling the shirt off and unclasping her bra. Souta was not watching her movements, but was digging in the small closet in the bathroom towards the back where Kagome's bathroom supplies were stashed away.

They were dusty from four years of not being used so he took a washcloth and wiped off the dust. Behind him he heard a splash: Kagome getting into the bubble bath.

"Here, Kagome." Souta set the bath items next to the bath before watching her slip under water. He wasn't worried for her trying to drown herself; he was more worried she'd get the bubbles in her eyes. She could shape shift. He knew that she'd transformed and no longer could be a priestess.

As soon as Souta left the bathroom, he found Yuri giving him a curious look. She held up a piece of paper and he walked closer to read it. "Nope. I haven't seen a pink notebook."

He told her and headed for the stairs. There were some of Naraku's old clothes in the room he used to live in; old expensive kimono type outfits that Naraku wore before madness settled in.

It was during those days that Naraku had never even given leather a thought. Leather was expensive, but compared to the kimono that he used to wear, leather was a bare penny's worth price. Souta's intent was to find something for Kagome to wear to give her a feeling of closeness to their now deceased father.

"It's getting late." Kali said with a sigh to her son. "Kagome should have been out of the bath by now. The water must be freezing." Kali was beginning to get worried. She still didn't know about Naraku's death; Hakudoushi had told Souta not to tell Kali so that she could be happily married. Kali looked up when Hakudoushi and May walked into the living room, Karei on their heels.

"Where are the children?" May inquired looking around for any sign of Shuichi or Kanna but finding none. May threw her beautiful blond hair over her shoulder and sat next to Kali on the love seat. Hakudoushi sat comfortably on the recliner. "Karei, don't be so stiff, dear. Sit down next to your cousin. He won't bite."

Souta raised an eyebrow at Karei who sniffed and looked away. "I'd rather eat dirt—" Karei started, but a voice cut her off coming from the entryway to the living room.

"Karei, you'll find plenty of it outside then. Insult him further, and I'll feed it to you." Souta peered around Karei to see his sister standing in the door. "Sorry if I worried you, mama." Kagome apologized.

Kagome was wearing the grey kimono that Souta had picked out. Each of the different layers from the top one to the bottom one varied grey colors, getting darker each layer.

Behind Kagome stood Kanna and Shuichi, both looking sleepy on their feet, but they were warm in clean clothes and looked like they'd just taken showers. "Mum, may I lie down?" Kanna asked Kagome and again she felt shocked to be called "mum".

"Yeah, I'm pretty tired too." Shuichi's quiet boyish voice was back. Kagome wondered exactly how the two spirits figured who would be in charge at each different time.

Kagome nodded and waved to the two couches in the farthest corner of the room. There were pillows on the couches and a pile of heavy blankets. "Go ahead and make yourself comfortable." She told her 'children'.

As the two slid sleepily across the floor, Kagome turned her attention to the rest of the people filling the room. Kagome was surprised Kagura was not there, but Sammy had probably wanted to go home and Kagome knew Kagura would keep her word and stay with Sammy. "Oh damn." Karei sneered, crossing her arms over her stomach. "And here I was hoping that your plane would crash."

"Karei!" May said, shocked that her daughter would say something so crude.

Kagome shrugged it off. If there was anything she needed, it was normality. She needed to feel that nothing drastic would change just because her father passed on. The world didn't revolve around any one person, though at such times as death it was hard to remember that. "Don't worry about it Aunt May."

Turning to Karei, Kagome walked over to the girl and examined her carefully. "You seem to have a growth to your belly. Abnormal one."

Karei became silent and her eyes seemed to glaze over, making Kagome wonder if the 'growth' was what she thought it was. "Sit down, Karei." Kagome whispered gently. "There is much to discuss here this night." For a moment it seemed like Karei would not obey, but the moment passed with no hesitation. Kagome sat next to Karei on the couch.

A silence filled the room for a moment while each person filled their heads with their own thoughts. Kagome glanced back at Shuichi and Kanna to find them fast asleep.

Kanna was curled under her blanket as though she couldn't get enough warmth with just a bit of white hair and her nose sticking out. Shuichi was sprawled across his couch with his blanket falling off as though he was too warm under the simple blanket.

The two probably had been exhausted after the hectic day, even though Kanna slept most of the car rides and the plane ride. Kanna's emotions probably were still haywire after the deaths making her just want to sleep. The same may have been said for Shuichi, what with his mother's death.

With a heavy sigh, Kagome turned back to the silent adults and looked at her mother. She doesn't know. The stunning realization startled her and she knew her mother ought to know about her ex-husband's death.

There was so much to talk about though and she wasn't sure where to start. Thoughts flittered in and out of her mind and she wondered which to go with and which one was an inappropriate start to the conversation.

Finally she decided, though she still wasn't sure if it was the best start to the conversation they would be having. She began with Sammy's situation at the start and explained from there exactly how things had happened as she had learned them.

After Sammy had been the phone call from Child Services. She had decided to go to Raspuit and at the airport she had met Shuichi. She didn't leave out that he had tried to steal her wallet because that was basically how their whole relationship began—with theft. When Shuichi had ended up in the Child Services department in the Police Station, she'd made the decision to help him too.

She explained how she had met Lea and found out that Lea was a Private Detective, and she explained how after the adoptions finished, she'd driven to Snowsville to stay the night with Genkai.

She told about her trip to Raspuit in the middle of the night to get Kanna's things and about how strange it felt that there would already be a for sale sign on the lawn as though it had been expected to happen. When she had been writing the note she'd intended to leave for the realtor, the realtor had come thinking she was a burglar.

After switching cars with Genkai, they began their way to Tokyowhere Kagome had every intent to call Kali and ask for her father's address. Soon she had reached her father's apartment complex, but the state of disrepair had horrified her.

She could recall thinking about how it wasn't too late to turn back, but she had made a promise to bring her father back. It was at this point that Hakudoushi had tried to get her to stop telling her story, but Kagome snapped at him, furious that he would try to stop her.

"It is the right thing to do, Uncle!" Kagome's voice sliced through the tense atmosphere almost like a chef's knife cut through a loaf of bread: the knife killed the bread but eventually managed the cut.

Hakudoushi's lips pursed in a frown and he said, "Kagome, it's the right thing to do at the wrong time." He told her, quite serious. His eyes held a dangerous tone, but it seemed he agreed with her on some level.

"Kagome, please just finish your story." Kali told her with a shifty glance towards Hakudoushi. She never liked to be in the dark about things. True was the fact that she was the most informed person in Sunset. Everyone came to her with their problems. She was very trusted.

The schools no longer employed the position of "psychiatrist" because instead they were sent to her. Kali's work load in the past three years had sky-rocketed because the schools had discontinued the positions and she was constantly having to schedule and reschedule several appointments for later dates.

At that point, she was booked until June and it was just nearing the end of January. Plus she had her wedding to contend with.

Kagome leaned back on the couch with a sigh. "Be careful what you wish for." She started and she could feel the atmosphere intensify. "I used to wish for daddy to die..." she trailed off as a tear rolled down her cheek, the hot liquid burning her cold cheeks.

Not one person listening in the room couldn't figure out what she was saying. It was so obvious: Naraku was dead.

Tears shone in Kali's eyes, but they did not fall. "Thank you for telling me, Kagome." She stood from the loveseat, brushing her suit skirt off. Even though it was getting to be late at night, she had yet to change into her sleep ware.

"Excuse me..." She left the room but even though she was leaving the company of the living room, Kagome knew she wouldn't let the tears fall. The library was her destination.

After a few moments, May and Hakudoushi stood and left the room. Silence filled their absence until Kagome brushed away the tear that had dried to her cheek already. Souta gave his sister a hug and then he ambled out of the room. Kagome was left only with Karei and the two sleeping teens in the corner.

Karei was surprisingly the one to break the quiet. She nervously reached out and pulled her hand back, only to reach out again and place a hand on Kagome's shoulder. "I'm sorry for the hell I've always given you." Karei told her.

Kagome looked at her cousin and felt a soft smile spread across her face. She couldn't help it; after so many years, it just felt good to hear the words from Karei. "You're forgiven." Her eyes wandered to Karei's slightly growing stomach. "Is that just excess fat, or..." At the pained look that crossed Karei's face, she stopped, having her answer. "Who's the dad?"

Karei bit her lip and then just decided to out with the truth. She had told her mother and father the feeling between the person and her had been consensual but it wasn't. It was rape. "I got a job at Sara's Café and some big trucker decided that I was ripe for the picking." She hoped Kagome would understand, because she didn't want to have to say the word.

She wasn't surprised when she found Kagome bristling with anger. "Kagome, please don't be angry with me, I gave him hell about it... I'm not a demon for nothing, you know!"

"I'm not angry with you." Kagome spat but then she bit her tongue. She was still fatigued, so it was hard to keep her emotions still enough to deal with.

Whoever thought up the idea that demons didn't need as much sleep as humans had been cracked up on dope, she decided, because even though they can stay awake much longer without feeling the effects of fatigue, when they do start to feel it, it is ten times worse.

"Kagome, your mom...Kali said you're a private investigator...Would you take the case? I'll pay you." The nervous tone in Karei's beautifully natural soprano voice was what made Kagome stop for a moment and think.

Sammy worked at a café and it was a trucker that had raped her. Karei worked at a café and it was a trucker that had raped her. Was it all just a coincidence? She couldn't help but wonder.

"You don't need to pay me. You're family, even if we have differences. I protect my own." It had always been her saying, the saying in "Hell's Kitchen" which was her territory.

The East side of town was "Hell's Kitchen". "We protect our own" was the common phrase that seemed to somehow instill safety in some and fear in others. When or how it had been started was unclear, but Kagome had never forgotten it.

Karei lifted her shirt and pulled down the pant line of her jeans. Kagome had thought the jeans seemed just a bit too loose for someone of her favor, but now she realized why Karei wore them. They were to hide just how pregnant the girl was.

The shirt was very loose though not recognizably so. Karei had to be three months pregnant, maybe four. "Mom and dad think that the feeling was mutual between the trucker and me. After the kidnapping, they were all tiptoes around me and it was like living in a prison. If I told them it was rape, they'd never let me out of their sight."

Kagome wasn't sure if it was the lack of sleep that made her say it or what it was, but she said, "You can come live with me if that happens. But I want you to tell them. Now I have barely slept in two days. I really need sleep."

Kagome found herself engulfed in a back breaking hug and feebly returned it. Karei was on her feet as quickly as she could and rushed over to the corner where the two teens were sleeping, picking up the pillow and blankets, making a bed on the floor for Kagome.

She had a bed made before Kagome could even drag her tired body off the couch and make her way over. It was strange to have Karei tuck her in but she was grateful anyway for the twenty-two year old. She was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

* * *

Raine had been unable to sleep and still was unable. The police were still searching the house as though they expected to find something. Well, they weren't going to find Kikyou inside a broken VCR and they weren't going to find Kaede inside an old computer monitor. The items might have been abnormally large for their use but they certainly weren't that large.

"Hey! That's my underwear drawer! Do you mind?" Raine yelled at the man searching the drawer. She slammed the drawer shut and felt a grim satisfaction as his fingers got stuck in the drawer. "Hmph." She stomped over to another man who was running greasy burger fingers over the rolls of expensive cloth that Rin had in a closet.

She slapped his fingers and pulled him away. "Don't touch that! Now, look! You've ruined at least five hundred dollars of cloth! You're going to pay for that, Mister!"

Rin also was getting irritated. She felt her face flushing angrily as she watched Mr. Greasy-hands go back to touching her cloth, but if she tried to deal with him, she might get over enthused and break his wrist.

The muscles of a Cyborg meant abnormal strength and Rin could easily heave every single one of those men in the basement up the stairs—one at a time of course—and throw them out the door. If she was holding one by the scruff of their neck, she could easily snap their neck with a shift and twitch of her wrist.

She definitely had to be careful. She watched Raine shove Mr. Greasy-fingers towards the stairs. "Get out! Out of this house right now! You've searched every where, even in my underwear drawer and the tampon garbage! You're pissing me off! I want to see that search warrant you said you had! You never did show it to any of us did you?" Raine was never one to hold back swearwords when she was angry.

Rin watched the men file out moments later after a giant argument between Harvey and the policemen. There was no search warrant; they had claimed there was one though.

It was an invasion of a private residence, and Rin knew that Raine would not let things stand. Harvey would probably also do his best to humiliate the police for such evils. Curinrin...Rin couldn't figure out Curinrin any more.

The woman seemed to have known all along about Rin and Raine and about Raine's profession, but it was almost as though Harvey was in the dark about it all still. One thing was that Curinrin was definitely not the simpleton that she made herself out to be. She was a mystery; more a mystery than anyone that Rin had ever encountered.

Even Rin's mechanical brain, full of possibilities of what could and couldn't happen, hadn't figured that out as a possibility.

But a question that was posed to Rin was: Why couldn't the police get a search warrant from the police chief if they thought Kikyou and Kaede might be there?

Curinrin would have a lot of answering to do...in the morning. Whispering through the hidden door after the police had long gone, she told Kikyou and Kaede, "Just lie on the floor and get some rest if you are not already. There are blankets in there. If it is safe in the morning, then we will open the door."

Rin knew they needed help. The two girls were not safe anymore. Rin was sure Raine knew it as well and that they would need outside help. Was Relic out of the question? Was he even trustworthy anymore? She wasn't so sure.

* * *

Relic wondered if he had done the right thing the night before. He had learned of the false house raid, and called Curinrin to warn her. He didn't doubt that Kikyou and Kaede were there. It was shamefully obvious when it was learned the blood trail ended just feet away from Raine's house.

His uncle, the police chief, had refused to sign the search warrant because there was no evidence that the girls had gone into the house, so some of the police were going to do a false house raid.

Relic turned the light off in Tea's room and closed the door behind him.

The nightlight in the room turned on as soon as the overhead light's glow had stopped making Relic wonder if Raine had more secrets than he had initially thought. Raine was a smart girl, very witty, very charming. She made that so painfully obvious sometimes, but she was clumsy as well. She was never clumsy about her work; it was her feet that got her in trouble.

Now it made Relic wonder if that clumsiness was just an act. "Is she playing me? I have no doubt she could." It was well after midnight and he knew he should get some sleep but he found he was not at all tired. That would catch up with him later, he knew. When he had to be doing something important, he would be slow because he was tired.

So was Raine tripping over her feet, scattering her books everywhere, making a fool of herself for some strange yet somehow very explanatory reason? What could she be hiding? Other than the Motshuria girls, of course.

* * *

Gytha Motshuria narrowed her eyes dangerously as she stared at the man before her. She was seething. How could they have been so stupid? They were supposed to be looking for cracks in walls, cut rugs on floors, disheveled pictures, and secret rooms.

Instead they had ogled underwear and scrutinized fabric. Now the family would be alerted to the fact that the house was being watched. Kikyou and Kaede were in there; Gytha was sure of it.

In order to get the press off her back, Gytha needed someone to blame for the murders that had occurred in her house.

The police chief would have to go, she decided. If he wouldn't be turned to her cause and do as he was told, then he didn't have a point in the world, did he? Things would be so much easier if she had someone on her payroll to be chief of the police department.

"Get me the police chief." She commanded of the man, her voice so frighteningly soft and trusting that the man wanted to scream and run away.

He'd never heard anyone ever use their voice to such advantages before that they could make him fear them yet want to whisper all his secrets to them at the same time.

* * *

She giggled and danced circles around her little Cyborg. Demons were so fun! He had lived through the operation. The boy sat on the floor playing with toys because she had ordered him to do so. He feared her, and she reveled in that fear.

For the first time since she had kidnapped him, she actually looked at the boy. She had killed his parents after he had called out for them. There was no need for competition, after all! But he did look like the man who was his father.

The boy was bald at the moment with just the barest hint of fine red stubble on his head. She'd had to shave it in order to replace half of his brain with the mechanical parts she'd wanted.

She was actually surprised there was stubble on his head already but it appeared that demon hair grew twice as quickly as a human's. Or was it her priestess power that made it grow so quickly? She giggled. It wasn't important.

She continued dancing in circles. It was late at night, but she didn't mind. She was hardly tired. A genius needed less sleep after all! After a moment, she heard a clatter and saw her little Cyborg had fallen over.

She stopped and knelt next to him, placing her ear by his mouth. He had stopped breathing. She checked for a pulse in his arms. Nothing.

Shrugging, she went and got gloves. She felt giddier than before. She would get to try again! She needed an older test subject. Perhaps someone in their teens, or early twenties?

The city of Sunset was near enough that she could easily snatch someone away with no one the wiser. Export them to West City, and then back again and thoroughly confuse anyone who might be on her tail.

She washed any trace of her off of the boy, left him naked, and put him in a trash bag. The 'contents' of the trash bag, she had an android drop in a dumpster some three miles away. She couldn't wait to try again!

What was the best part of it all? The blood, the feeling of it on her hands and arms, and the knowledge that she holds the life beneath her in her hands.

It was cold. The android had taken the bag away, but the lady had been so distracted he knew he had to try at least. To say he had grown up quickly was an understatement.

He'd been forced to grow up, and the electronic part of his brain made his real brain forcibly coherent. The plan to play dead worked and he was out of the frightening metal room.

He climbed out of the dumpster, his limbs sore still from the recent operation. Her priestess powers had completely healed him though. It was just exhaustion settling in.

He was surprised at how easily it had been to stop the blood from flowing through his arms. A normal human or demon would never have been able to do that, and a normal demon or human would never have been able to hold their breath for ten minutes. Maybe some could manage four, but never ten.

Shivering, he walked stark naked down the streets of the strange town. He had no clue where he was, or where to go. He didn't know that he was just in a tiny village on the way between Keysville and Sunset.

He saw a blanket up on a clothes drying line and ran through the cold snow over to it. Someone had probably hung it up to air out that morning but forgot about it.

The boy was grateful they had forgotten and though it was just a thin blanket covered in dog hairs and smelled of urine and was barely large enough to be considered a towel, he was still glad. He pulled it off the line and pulled it around his body, continuing on his way. He had to get away as fast as he could.

He didn't know how long he'd been walking but he knew it must have been a long time because the sky was starting to get lighter and his feet were bleeding from the cold. His fingers and toes felt like they were going to split like hotdogs cooked too long.

The little village was long gone behind him, but he knew he was going away from the crazy lady. He had no doubt that he was headed in the right direction.

Finally he could walk no more and he collapsed on the ground right in the middle of the road, curling up in the tiny blanket hoping it would provide warmth. Maybe a car will run me over.

He sobbed but no sound emitted from his throat as he remembered his mother making him promise never to go into the road alone. He was in the road alone now, so where was his mother to come yell at him for it?

Mummy! I want my mummy! His father and mother had always been so special to him. Why did they look away? Did they not like him anymore?

Or was the crazy lady just so good at kidnapping little boys away from their parents that the mother and father never realized their baby was gone?

The first thing he wanted to do when he woke was scream because he had thought he was back in the metal room with the crazy lady, but when he stopped trying to shout from a throat that would emit no sound he found he was in a very different place.

The smells that bombarded his nose made him feel queasy as he recalled it had been a couple of days since his last decent meal. Looking around as his eyes adjusted to the light of the room, he noticed the unkempt state of the room.

He saw dirty laundry littered the floor, empty take-out containers were bursting the seams of the garbage, dust was caked on every possible surface and the books on the shelf in the corner of the room were dropping off their positions because the bookshelf was not properly poised at an angle.

After the cleanliness of the metal room, this room was like heaven and would have been if it weren't for the boy's stomach being so judgmental at the moment. He heaved and the tiniest bit of liquid shot out of his mouth onto the heavy blanket that covered him.

He vaguely noticed he lay on a piece of living room furniture of sorts, though that didn't seem to beg too much of his attention.

The boy wondered if he would dislike all clean places or if it would just be the metal room he feared. The fear stuck in his gut like a pin but he couldn't help but think that whoever's place he was in would be a good person because they didn't fell that every speck of dust needed to be destroyed immediately or they may melt like the wicked witch of the west.

Despite the mess he had made on the blankets he still lay down among them, his eyes drifting closed. Among his slightly disturbed thoughts about the crazy lady, he heard a voice whispering, "Hey, pops... his pulse is really strange...it goes fast and then slows."

* * *

"Daddy, can I read to you tonight?" the five year old girl with pig tails and a pink nightgown begged of her father. She gave him a big toothy grin and held up a book to him, the front cover reading "The Wood Fairy, retold by Virginia Haviland". It was a very old story.

Naraku smiled at his daughter and picked her up, resting her on his hip while he walked towards Kali's bedroom where Kagome slept at night with her brother and mother.

"Of course you can!" Naraku told the little girl with a smile and began to dance with Kagome in circles as they made their way down the wide hallway.

Kagome's tiny minute fingers clung to her favorite book as she giggled and laughed. She did not cling to her father; she trusted him to hold her tight as he always did. He never let her go, at least not truly.

As soon as she was tucked in, snug in her blankets, she opened the book and looked at the pictures on the page, beginning to read. She was smart for a five year old, but she still wasn't able to read all the words.

She struggled through the first few sentences before giggling and handing the book to her father who sat on the floor beside the bed listening to her as though she and he were the only ones left in the world and only what she was saying was important. "Can you read it now? I want to hear you read it!"

Naraku complied and took the book, placing a tender kiss on her cheek. The scruff of the beard he'd had that night tickled her skin and made her giggle, but she rolled over to face him and ran her hands through his long silky black hair. She wanted hair like his and said so several times while growing up.

"Once upon a time there was a little girl named Betushka. She lived with her mother, a poor widow who had only a tumbledown cottage and two goats. But in spite of this poverty, Betushka was always merry." Naraku began, speaking softly so that he would not wake the sleeping boy nearby. Souta went to bed half an hour before Kagome because he was younger.

He continued and as usual, Kagome did not move throughout the entire story except to run her fingers through his hair. "From spring to autumn, Betushka drove the goats each day to pasture in a birch wood. Every morning her mother put a slice of bread and an empty spindle into her bag." He continued to read the story to her, until it dwindled towards the end of the book.

"Nothing, however, gave her such delight as she had had dancing with the wood fairy. Often she ran to the birch wood, hoping to see the beautiful maiden, but never again did the wood fairy appear."

Naraku closed the book and looked at his daughter. Kagome never fell asleep during the story, so Naraku was not surprised to find her still awake. Every night for the past month she had asked for the same story. Finally he was about to find out why she liked it so much, in a rather round-about way.

"My teacher read me this book like forever ago, daddy." Kagome smiled and a yawn escaped her. "I like it so much! I like it this much!" she spread her arms as far apart as they could go to emphasize how much she liked the story.

"When I think about the wood fairy, I know she is a protector! She protects and I want to be just like her, but I won't just protect little girls, daddy. I want to protect everyone! Mama protects everyone, doesn't she? 'Cause I heard some people talking about how mama is called Sunset's Shrink and so I asked my teacher what it meant and she said that mama is a person who helps people who are hurting inside."

Naraku listened to every word of his daughter's babbling with a smile on his face. Some people might have had trouble keeping up with her excited gibberish but he had never found that problem. "Sounds like your teacher is very smart!" he agreed. "I'm sure that someday when you're bigger and tough like your dear ol' dad you'll be able to take on anyone who tries to harm those who you want to protect."

Kagome giggled. "You're not tough!" she chided him. "Otherwise me an' Souta wouldn't be able to beat you in tickle wars! You're weak as a little girl!" Naraku chuckled, enjoying his chat with his daughter. Suddenly a sleepy Kagome said, "Will you come watch me at the dojo tomorrow? Me and Sango get to fight each other!"

He nodded and tucked her in. She fell asleep just as the words fell from his mouth. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Kagome woke late in the morning feeling so comfortable that she didn't want to get up. She'd finally had a good dream instead of the normal nightmare she found herself dealing with when she woke.

She was surprised that she even remembered the story from so long ago. She had heard it every night for almost a year straight until her father had hidden the book from her. Where had he put it? she wondered.

When a face entered her line of vision, she was startled and yelped, pulling the blanket up to cover herself more. The grey kimono outfit did seem to be a bit big and the outfit was falling off her shoulders but she needn't have worried because it was only Kanna.

"Are you awake, mum?" the snowy girl asked and Kagome shook her head, closing her eyes.

"No, I'm not," she whispered, hoping to catch her dream as it drifted fast away. She wanted to keep dreaming because it was in her dreams that her father still lived and it was in her dreams that she could talk to him again.

Kanna, however, had other plans for her. When Kagome pulled the blankets over her head to try to block out the midmorning sunlight that streamed through the windows in the living room to the shrine the snowy girl took the blankets and pulled them right off her body.

Kagome could have put up more of a fight for them but instead was more keen to just curling up in a ball on her bed. "I want to see Kagura." Kanna whispered in her ear, her voice dragging Kagome farther still from her dream.

Kagome tried to clutch onto the dream, to keep her father with her, but he would not stay. The dream fell from her grasp and was near forgotten no matter how hard she tried not to forget it.

She could remember the title of the story Naraku had read to her and her promise to become a protector of everyone who needed it like the Wood Fairy, but everything else was just gone.

"Sema rito gaba ko yoer." Kagome muttered, which was sleep talk and meant something along the lines of, "Go away, I want to sleep and if I'm not allowed to continue dreaming I think I might just end up waking up."

"Sema rito gaba ko yoer?" Kanna mimicked her. "What does that mean and what language could you possibly be speaking in?" All Kagome wanted to do was just dream happy dreams where she was jovial and where she still had her father.

She wondered how Kanna felt to have lost Miss Nina and her foster parents all in the course of just a few hours. How was Kanna coping with it?

It was these thoughts that made her sit up and give Kanna the biggest smile she could muster under the present circumstances. Kanna was so strong to be able to handle the death mostly on her own.

The healing, if Kagome remembered correctly from what her mother had said years before, after a death was done mostly in the first few hours afterwards. Kanna had to handle it alone and it would have been a very hard blow to deal with.

Kagome strengthened her resolve and began standing, adjusting the kimono outfit's shoulders so she wasn't giving the world such a cleavage show.

When Kanna gave her the widest, happiest smile she had seen for two days, Kagome felt better about the lost dream. It was just a dream after all and if she had one good dream, doubtless she would have another.

"I promise we'll see Kagura yet today, okay Baby girl?" Kanna's head bobbed up and down and Kagome found herself pushing her grief, not her father, towards the back of her mind. Perhaps she was healing, but it was a slow process indeed.

If she could speed the process up she might have but she knew that only time healed such deep wounds...and sometimes not even time could cure them.

"Shuichi is in the kitchen eating lunch with your mum." Kanna informed her, grabbing her hand and dragging her down the hall. The young fifteen year old was surprisingly strong for how weak she looked, Kagome had to admit.

Kagome was surprised that she had slept so long that it was lunch already. She hadn't slept in like that for nearly three years so why did she start now? Did she not have a job to do, a college to enroll in, two teens to enroll in high school, and so much else to do?

She had to find a rapist, thoroughly question Karei and Sammy on their rape accounts so she could find the rapist, talk to all her old friends and catch up on old times, find out what Medallion was up to lately (because keeping in touch with old enemies was often wise in her mind), find an apartment for Kagura, Hiei, and Yusuke since they would probably not go to Raspuit now that their reason for going was in Sunset, and she had to wear a dress in a wedding that may be turned into a funeral instead because the man who she loved more than anyone had to go and die on her.

Kali looked up from her lunch salad and gave her daughter a smile. "Rin is on her way over now so we can get you fitted for that dress." Kagome nodded and sat at the table, noticing finally that she had taken the bottom to the kimono off at some point in time during the night, probably had been too hot to keep them on.

Her father had been taller than her so the top fit well enough, going down to her mid thighs, but it exposed more legs than she was used to. She found herself pulling at the hem of the multiple layers of tops to try to cover more of her legs when Shuichi looked her way.

She had no idea which of the spirits it was that kept glancing at her but the demon spirit had made it very clear that he found her attractive right from the beginning.

Kagome realized how little she had eaten in the past couple of days—a few cookies and a bowl of oatmeal were all she had that she managed to keep down. After her bath she had spent ten minutes vomiting because she was still so unnerved about how the maid had phrased her father's death.

Unsure if she would be able to stomach the lettuce, she declined the offer when her mother made it. She didn't want to risk it even if she was hungry.

"Shuichi and I were just discussing the 100-year war, Kagome. I know you like the subject, would you care to join us?" Kali offered giving her daughter a worried look. Kali was probably wondering if Kagome was still thinking about Naraku.

Kagome gave her mother a small smile and shook her head. "No, mama, I'm fine."

Kali's brow creased together and she said, "I was not asking how you were, Kagome."

"Oh, you weren't? Silly me..." Kagome chuckled at the look on her mother's face. "I'm sorry mama, I couldn't resist." At this, her mother seemed to relax a bit.

When Kagome felt a tug on the kimono top, she looked towards Kanna who was the only one close enough to her to have done the tugging. Kanna was giving her a docile nervous look as though she wanted to say something. "What is it, Kanna?" she asked the young girl.

Kanna bit her lip for a moment before answering and Kagome gave her a small smile. "Can I sit on your lap, mum?" Kanna asked, fidgeting nervously. Shuichi gave Kanna a curious look and Kali had to hide a smile behind her hand and wasn't quite managing to hide the entire thing.

Kagome chuckled and nodded, letting the girl curl up in her arms. She fixed the kimono top on her shoulder as it began falling down and began to prepare herself for a battle of words with her mother though she knew she would lose on the topic before she even began.

"Mother," at this, Kali sat up straight. Kagome swore she could see the argument swimming in Kali's eyes already. Kali was prepared for this battle of wills that she would be having with her daughter.

"You and I both know how much I hate dresses of any sort. What in the name of Grandmother Madison were you thinking when you offered that I would wear a dress?" Kagome eyed her mother for a second before continuing, a little more determined than before.

Her mother just sat there daintily eating her salad as though at the moment all she was interested in was her healthy lunch. "Grandmother Madison never got all dolled up for weddings so why must I be forced to?"

Kali carefully set her fork down and Kagome recalled how her father used to set his fork down. He'd always been careful when eating so he wouldn't get any food on his clothes. Kagome shook herself mentally; she wasn't prepared for an emotional battle, especially after she just wok up.

Kali wiped her face on her napkin before she spoke, her food swallowed. "Grandmother Madison also was a warrior priestess during the 100-year war and during that time she was usually one of the protectors at the weddings, there to make sure nothing bad happened to those involved. I doubt anything is going to go wrong at the wedding unless Kohaku trips, but that is the likeliest bad thing to happen."

"But Kohaku may trip over the ungodly dress I will have to wear, so I shouldn't wear one." Kagome said grinning; she was so sure she had won the battle but it was far from over and Shuichi was the one who destroyed her chances at winning.

"Lady Madison had a fancy of getting prettied up at any chance she got and liked to pretend she was a part of the royal house. When she was in her armor versus when she was in what she considered to be beautiful clothing, she was completely unrecognizable and would often trick men, both demon and human, into cavorting with her. She was, needless to say, as deadly in a dress as in armor."

It was Shuichi's boyish voice that supplied the information, but Kagome was sure the demon spirit Youko was the source. She gave the boy a slight glare before looking at her mother.

Kagome was pouting and she knew she was. She now had a beautiful dress in her possession and a death threat hanging over her head that if anything bad happened to the dress before the coming wedding on Wednesday, Kali would murder her.

Kali had taken Kanna and Shuichi to be enrolled in school and to help them get their school uniforms for Sunset Private Education School, ordering Kagome to take the dress to her apartment and place it somewhere where it would be safe.

How about in the bottom of the garbage disposal? Kagome wondered with a frown. Is that a safe enough place? She doubted her mother would approve though, so instead she put it in her closet and then looked at the clothes that Kagura had picked out for her.

Kagura had bought her some dresses because there were no doubt going to be some formal instances where Kagome would no doubt need to wear a dress, but she had stuck to Kagome's guidelines: she needed to be able to move her legs freely.

Even if she didn't have some bad guy to chase down or some evil woman to apprehend, she still didn't like fabric getting caught in her legs. Other than the few formal and semi-formal outfits, there were the usual clothes that both Kagome and Kagura found themselves apt to wear: tube tops, tank tops, mesh shirts, baggy pants, khakis, low cut pants with loose legs, tee shirts that were form fitting and tee shirts that were not.

"Where is she?" Kagome turned abruptly, startled by Kagura's sudden voice. Kagura gave her a small smile, but there was worry in her eyes. "I heard you come in—I was in the bathroom. A girl's gotta do her business you know."

Kagome nodded her agreement and turned back to the closet. She was ready to take a nice long hot shower. "Kanna is with my mother and Shuichi. They're getting themselves enrolled in school and picking up a few clothes. Mama is going to drop them off here later on when all is said and done."

Kagome chose a blue tube top and a pair of blue pin stripe pajama pants, searching the dresser for the drawer that held undergarments. "How is Sammy?" Kagome questioned and Kagura was silent for a long moment, so long Kagome worried she might not answer. "Kagura?" she encouraged.

"'Gome...we went and got a home pregnancy test and"—Kagome already knew where the subject was going—"Sammy is pregnant unless the test erred. She's very upset and won't come out of her room to eat even. She locked herself in."

"I'll take care of it." Kagome said with a sigh. "But first I need a bath and some light chicken soup and crackers. I haven't eaten for the longest time."

Kagura gave her a relieved smile. "I'll find your soup; your towels are on the shelf in the bathroom along with your bath supplies."

* * *

As he heaved up the soup that the man had given him, he felt the man's cool hand on his forehead. The other hand was holding him steady so he could stay standing over the toilet.

It hurt to vomit, but he'd been so hungry that he'd eaten the soup too quickly and ended up vomiting all over the kitchen table, floor, and bathroom. As the bile rushed out of his throat, he felt soothed by the man's presence.

The man had saved him. He'd found him in the middle of the road and picked him up. The man's father was looking for his mummy and daddy. He couldn't wait until he was reunited with his mother and father. They would have to be so worried.

"It's going to be alright." The man told him. "Just let it all out."

When he finished vomiting finally, he curled up in the man's arms and cried. Tears dripped down his face and he didn't know that he was limited now to how many tears he would be able to shed. Soon his tear ducts would dry up and he would be unable to release his sorrow in such a simple manner.

He would learn to love the rain and showers, because when the liquid would flow down his face he would feel as though he was able to cry again. He didn't know that as he aged, he would never grow beyond the short height of three feet five.

He traced letters on the man's chest—his parents had been teaching him to write, though at age eight he was hardly good at it. "You're safe," the man agreed, answering the question that the boy was posing him. "It's okay, you're safe now."

The boy smiled, looking up into the man's brown eyes. "Thank you..." he mouthed, though he sobbed when no sound emitted from his throat to match his words.

The woman had destroyed his life when she took his voice. He loved to talk, he loved to sing, he loved to giggle, he loved to laugh, but he would never get to do any of that again.

* * *

The woman looked at the slip of paper she had received in the mail with pursed lips. Her eyes scanned the card that had two silver doves and a red ribbon on white parchment on the cover before she slapped the paper down on the desk.

"I don't want to go to any stupid wedding! Hmph! A gift indeed! Oh ho ho," she giggled as she danced her way over to the phone. She had the perfect gift, though it was for a woman only. Why would she want to give the groom a gift when she knew him not?

"Life is so fun on the edge!" she chanted as the phone on the other end rang. She pulled herself up onto the points of her feet and twirled in circles, her gown flowing around her. Why wouldn't she want to live on the edge?

But the audacity the woman had, sending her such an invitation when she was busy making plans to kidnap another child! Oh for heavens sakes, she did most certainly not want to go, but she knew she must. It was after all the polite thing to do when someone invites a person.

"What do you want?" The person on the other end snapped.

She pursed her lips and stopped dancing to fall into the desk chair. "Oh, you are angry with me?" She pouted. "I have money! Come to a wedding with me? The bride wants a gift."

She giggled again and thought of the bride with her brains spewing from a hole etched in her forehead by a bullet. She clapped her hand to her mouth to keep from shrieking out at the image.

"Yeah, when is the event?"

"Wednesday." She managed to choke out before bursting into a fit of giggles. "Oh, we'll have so much fun! Oh ho ho, so much fun!"

"Sure, whatever. I'm going." The person on the other end hung up and she did as well. She was having a great time, and now she would be able to rid the world of someone she heartily agreed to be a nuisance to the world.

* * *

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at the phone in his hand. What kind of an idiot would call him and ask such a favor from him? Seriously, they had to be cracked. He wasn't even old enough to do as they were requesting.

Heaving a sigh, he slumped against the wall, wondering who he could call that would help him out of his predicament. How many twenty one year olds did he know? Medallion was twenty three, but he was in West City.

He obviously couldn't ask Sesshoumaru. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he recalled Kagome was twenty one. "It's a fat chance, but I could ask...I could bribe her. What could I use against her?"

* * *

Kagome sighed happily and let the water wash away the physical aches her body had and all the thoughts in her mind with it. She didn't want to think about Naraku being gone or she knew she would tear up.

It still wasn't the right time to think about it. She felt her long hair caress and tickle the scars that covered her back. If she had been born a demon instead of a human, those scars would have healed, never to be seen again.

Instead, she had been born a human and transformed into a demon half-breed.

She heard her ring tone going off on the other side of the curtain but ignored it. She was tired of everyone interrupting her; when she wanted to speak, when she wanted to shower, or when she just wanted time to herself.

She just let the water soak her body and she knew it would be a long time before she got out. Perhaps when the water was cold she would think about getting out; she wasn't sure.

"While you may think that all is fine and dandy," Sango said wisely, "I want answers. I'm not stupid and I've already figured out that they're here." Sango blushed under Rin's blank stare. "Okay, I suppose I should explain myself, huh?" she muttered.

Rin blinked once, then twice, then a final third time before shaking her head. "I understand you, Sango. I am afraid I must object though. Kikyou and her sister Kaede are not here." Rin was lying and she knew it, but she couldn't help it.

The house was no doubt bugged though Raine was searching the premises for such strange objects that may lead to the downfall of Kikyou and Kaede Motshuria.

"Oh, come on, Rin. You can tell me, it's not like I'm going to go off and tell someone!"

Rin's mistake lay in the discrete nervous glance she sent at the stairwell downstairs. Sango knew it was rude to do so, but she crossed the room before Rin could react, yanked the door open and began down the stairs. "That is not for you to choose to walk so freely around a house, Sango!" Rin told her. "You are a guest!"

"Holy hell," Sango whispered as she saw Kikyou and Kaede sitting together on a cushion watching the news. Kikyou gasped but then covered her mouth trying not to show her apprehension. Rin slid out of the stairwell and heaved a sigh.

"Ne—" Rin slapped her hand over Sango's mouth to keep her from finishing that sentence. She shook her head angrily.

"Horrifying, is it not?" Rin said quietly. "The ruined fabric amounts to nearly six hundred dollars."

Taking her cue from Rin, Sango realized that Rin believed the house to be bugged. "I'm sorry...I have to go see Kagome." Sango left as quickly as she had come; was trying to act as though she had not just found out something very crucial. Rin was harboring Kikyou and Kaede.

Was this frightening, or noteworthy? She couldn't decide.

Sango had never really been able to keep very much from Kagome. Kagome and her had been best friends for the longest time and for as long as she could remember, Kagome had always been the one who she would share the juiciest information.

As she looked at the apartment number that Kali had given her, she wondered if it was wrong for her to come forward and tell someone she trusted. After all, it wasn't her secret to tell. But then again, what could Rin and her sister Raine do to protect Kikyou and Kaede?

At last, she came to a decision and turned the car around. Kikyou and Kaede trusted Rin and Raine, so it was only fair for Sango to also trust her friends' judgments. She found she was both angry at herself for the decision and yet oddly content.

It would be the first secret she had deliberately kept from Kagome. Kagome was the first to know when Sango had lost her virginity, Kagome was the first to know when Sango's mother had died how much it hurt Sango, and Kagome was the first to know when Sango had crushed on Miroku.

She had kept nothing from Kagome but all that was about to change. She didn't realize it could only benefit Kikyou and Kaede if she told Kagome.

* * *

Kagome had been about to go talk to Sammy when her phone rang again. She picked it up with a sigh. "This is Higurashi—" yet another day, yet another interruption.

The male voice on the other end was familiar to her and she bit back a miserable groan. Why could the Nokugami boy's not stay out of her life? She didn't want them calling her, she didn't want to hear their voices, and she didn't want to think about them at all.

So then why were they calling her, why was she hearing their voices and why was she being forced to think about them?

"Hey, Kagome, it's Inuyasha."

"Why am I such a nice person?" she complained as she hit her head on the horn of the Rent-A-Car. Once more in her life she had found herself parked in front of the police station, ready to bail a man out of jail when she knew it may be best just to let them sit there and rot. Unfortunately it really was her fault that the man she had come to get was in jail. She was the one who had told him.

As she unbuckled and got out of the car, she grabbed the keys to the car and pocketed them so that there was no repeat of history and her car could not be stolen.

She could recall what had happened years before with her father when she bailed him out of jail and while she doubted that the man she was going to pick up would steal her car, she didn't know how long she would be in the police station and it was that fact that made her pocket the keys. There were many people in Sunset who were less than honest and may resort to stealing the car.

She locked the door and skipped up the steps, two at a time. It was time to make the best of the situation and she felt a grin come to her face as she thought of the taunts that she could toss at Sesshoumaru. She leaned casually against the receptionist's front desk and awarded him a wide grin. "Good afternoon! Long time no see!"

Startled at her sudden appearance, the man looked up and slowly a smile spread across his face. "Kagome! You are certainly right; it has been a long time. How is your father? I haven't seen him in for a long time."

Kagome forced the grin to stay in place as she tried a casual tone and said, "He's not going to be visiting anymore. You could say he's renewed his license in life." She glanced at her fingernails and noticed the sharp edges were back.

She hadn't even noticed. She tried to keep her fingernails trimmed but they grew very fast. "How are your wife and daughters, by the way?" She figured that if she was going to be taking a trip to the police station, she might as well say "hello" to those that she was familiar with.

"They're great." The man was grinning widely as he reached for his wallet and opened it to show her the picture inside. It looked to be a recent family photo of him and his family. He sat beside his wife, who sat on a chair as well, and their two daughters stood behind him.

They looked very happy and that happiness made Kagome's smile widen. "You have a lovely family Harvey. Oh wait, is she Rin? I know her."

Harvey nodded beaming down at the frozen image of his family. "And that's her sister Raine. Curinrin and I are very proud of them both. They're twins and we adopted them, but it feels like they're our own. Curinrin and I are unable to conceive so we jumped on the chance when the government offered it." He replaced the picture in his wallet and the wallet back in his pocket.

Kagome scratched her arm and yelped when she broke the skin with her sharp nails. That was why she tried to keep them trimmed—because she could cause bodily damage to herself and others far too easily with them. She peered over his desk.

"Do you have a tissue?" When he offered her one, she took it and covered the tiny wound with the disposable cloth. "Does the government normally involve themselves in the adoption of children? I mean, I thought they left that to Child Services, which isn't exactly the government."

With a shrug of his shoulders, Harvey spoke again quietly. "My daughter, Rin, is a Cyborg. I trust you not to run around telling everyone, though. My wife doesn't know yet and I fear her reaction if she were to find out."

Kagome's eyes went wide as she thought about that. "So she's not real? She seemed perfectly real to me when I saw her earlier today." The possibilities of Cyborgs seemed to be too far-fetched for her to actually believe it.

Rin was too normal to be a machine. Her movements were fluid, she was meticulous in the things she did, and she could go in water.

In the back of her mind she could hear Mrs. Zeishun, one of her old teachers speaking to her. "These babies are very expensive, so be careful with it, though you don't have to worry about water, it can go in it. It will drown if you hold it underwater."

If an android could be in water, could a Cyborg? And what exactly did he mean by Cyborg? Was it some sort of advanced android or was it a half-human, half-machine creation like portrayed in books and movies?

"Oh, she's very real, Kagome." Harvey told her, folding a piece of paper and putting it in an envelope, licking it shut. "She's human, but some parts of her are mechanical. If it weren't for the operation, she would have died years ago." Kagome took another tissue and replaced the first; the blood had bleed through and filled the first tissue. "Anyway, what have you been up to? How was Snowsville?"

Kagome pulled herself away from potentially dangerous thoughts: Cyborgs are unnatural. She gave Harvey another grin and replied with, "Snowsville was great. It was a refreshing change, actually. I made a few good friends, somehow pulled myself through the college and got my P.I. badge, and started a small business of my own."

"P.I. badge? Wow, Kagome. I guess I mostly assumed someone like you would become something more of a science researcher of the sort. I guess it just goes to show, eh?" Kagome nodded her agreement and put the bloody tissues in her pocket.

She knew she could heal the wound, but she preferred just to let them just heal on their own. They wouldn't scar if they were left to heal. "So, Kagome, would you like to join me and my family for dinner some time this week?"

Kagome was honored for the offer but knew her week would be fairly hectic as it was. For him to offer her dinner at his home meant that he thought highly of her, and she was pretty sure that was a good thing.

"I'm afraid I must decline for any day before Friday. Mother is getting married and unfortunately I must force myself to attend the wedding, dress and all."

Harvey burst out laughing. "You don't sound very excited. Is it the dress or the man?"

"The man I love. The dress, less!"

"So what have you popped by for, Kagome?" Harvey questioned, calming down enough to speak without laughing. "Somehow I don't think you're here for a pleasant visit."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "No, but I'm procrastinating. You see, the man I'm here to get...I don't even like him. Hey, is Shino Takai around?" She looked towards the door that led to the inner sanctum of the police station. "If he is, I'd visit him too while I'm here."

Harvey nodded. "Sure, I'll let you through. Go on in; his office is right straight back."

As Kagome walked over to the door, there was a buzzing sound as Harvey pushed the unlock button for the door. She opened the door and the sound stopped.

I could get a part-time here if I wanted. She thought and chuckled. She'd feel too confined if she did that, but she would have all the cities juicy information of trouble.

At least if she did that, she wouldn't have to bulk all her Grandfather's money into college. She would have a fairly steady income, so it was something to think about.

The police station in Sunset was much different than the one in Raspuit. The room was split in two, and unlike the very lucid atmosphere in the Raspuit police station, the atmosphere in the SPD was very problematic. She could have sworn that a single word said in the room would erupt the waiting volcano.

She saw very few females in the office; in fact she actually saw no females in the office. All of them were male and she could feel herself attracting stares.

She couldn't have cared less if they were looking at her face, but unfortunately she saw they were looking at the stomach and cleavage shown by the blue tube top that she wore. She had to remind herself that she would not make it out alive if slapped any one of the men.

"Raine?" she heard someone call just before she entered the office reading "Detective Shino Takai". "Oh, sorry, I thought you were Raine." She looked towards the man who had mistaken her for someone else.

If memory served her, she supposed she did look something like Raine from Harvey's photo, only her hair was longer and she had different colored eyes than brown.

"Don't worry about it." she told the brown haired guy. She continued into Shino's office and sat heavily in a chair before his desk. She would have to wait for Shino, because she sure as hell wasn't going to go out into the male atmosphere.

She would wonder about that though because she knew for a fact that there were females on the police force; or at least there had been three years before.

Kagome wanted to thank Shino for inspiring her to do something such as the police force, but mostly she wanted to inquire about Medallion. It was always a good idea, always a good idea to keep an enemy in memory.

She also wanted to know why the Mayor had passed a decree making it so that a person had to be twenty one to bail someone out of jail. Three years before a person only had to be sixteen.

Shino's day had been miserable so far. He had ended up getting to work late, which inevitably meant he would have to stay longer just to get in his normal workload, and he had missed lunch break. The friend who had bought him his computer, the one he used at work, had been killed some days previous and that made him very upset, but he knew it wasn't smart to get riled up especially in the line of police work.

As the day had flown by, he wondered how his son was doing at home. Medallion had picked up a stray, or so to speak. The boy was strange. His tongue had been cut out but it looked like it had been done many years ago and the boy was really no help at all in the matter because he couldn't speak and could barely write his alphabet much less write words.

"Distracted on the job, Shino?" he heard a voice say as he was settling down in his office. Startled, he looked up and it was as though Kagome appeared before him because he couldn't remember her being there before. "I heard that's not the safest position to be in." Her grin told him she was joking, but she had sounded so serious.

He was startled at her appearance. She was as eye catching as Lea had been. The woman with her suit skirts—people had laughed at Lea for wearing those outfits but Lea proved she didn't need her legs to move around. She would just mutter a few words in some foreign language and her entire body would disappear in mid air, only to reappear seconds later in front of her offender.

She had called it Teleportation, but Shino always thought that was something from a fairy tale. But then again, so were demons, but he'd known from experience that they were as real as he was.

Kagome, however, was much less expensively garbed. She wore a simple brown coat with the inner side wool, her pants were blue jeans, faded and old looking, low cut around her hips yet they looked snug on her waist.

The tube top seemed rather inconvenient and showed more skin than it covered but Shino could see the P.I. badge that hung casually from her belt, the belt worn purely for the purpose to hold her badge, phone, and gun holster which appeared to just be a small simple handgun. Still, a tube top seemed like the sort of thing a P.I. would want to stay away from. What if it fell down?

"I never expected to see you here, Miss Higurashi." Shino said, setting the files in his hands down on the desk. He ran his hands through his scruffy unkempt hair in an attempt to bring it to order but gave up when she snickered at him, amused by his sad attempts. "What's up? What have you come to me for?"

She shrugged, her delicately tanned shoulders raising and then lowering in nonchalance. "Just visiting you could say. I'm actually thinking about getting a part-time here, just to pass time. What's Medallion been up to lately? What's been happening here in Sunset these past three years? I come home and everyone is all tight about everything."

He watched her for a moment and then sighed. "There has been a lot of death in the recent years. Children have been disappearing, only to reappear in dumpsters around Sunset. Autopsies show they have metal and flesh as though someone tried to combine their bodies with that of a machine."

Kagome listened to Shino talk and learned of as much as she could from him. Information in the world of technology was the key to survival, she recalled Sango say once.

There had been two deaths recently in the Mayor's house, in Kikyou and Kaede's room. Two police officers had been killed; one of them was Shino's friend.

Apparently Kikyou and Kaede had killed them both in cold blood, but somehow Kagome couldn't picture either of them killing anyone in cold blood, much less having the strength to tie a grown muscular man to a chair to do so. She asked questions, and Shino answered them to the best of his ability. Shino knew quite a bit about the event.

He told of the false raid that some of the police officers had done and the strange behavior of the Mayor and some of his fellow police officers. "Some of these guys I think are throwing around far more money than they're making, if you get my drift." Shino surmised.

"But anyone who questions it gets put on forced vacation time. The Mayor passed a decree that any and all decisions of the SPD will be her command."

At Kagome's shocked expression, he continued, his look grim. "A lot of us are upset, but mostly only females have spoken up about the fact. The only females left not on forced vacation are working the night shift."

"So that's why there was a lack of 'em." Kagome murmured. "I was wondering... Don't you think it's rather odd that the Mayor, who is supposed to leave any and all decisions to the chief of the department, would resort to passing a decree for control?"

She twirled her hair on her finger and heaved a quiet sigh. She would have to talk to her mother about everything. Apparently a lot had changed, and if anyone knew anything about it all, it would be her mother. There had to be at least one person from each family seeing her mother.

"Yep. The Mayor was angry when the chief wouldn't sign a warrant for the search of Harvey Legume's home. Harvey is the—"

"Yeah, I know. Front desk guy. Why search Harvey's house though? He's a man in his late fifties; it isn't like he's got too much to hide." It struck Kagome even before she finished speaking and she felt the last word die away, a look of realization swirling across her face.

The closest place from the Mayor's house was Rin's home, which was two miles or so away. "Holy moley...they think Harvey is hiding Kikyou and Kaede? Well, if what you said is true and the footsteps stopped just before their house..." she trailed off again and shook her head.

"Yeah, but Shino, that could be just a coincidence you know. Truckers often drive that road because it's quickest to get from Keysville to Saga if you take that road."

"That's my thought. The two decided to hitchhike and it just happened that they were in front of the Legume home." Shino scratched the back of his neck, a frown on his face. "It's not the worst part either. We can't question the false raid either. The participants in the raid were suspended immediately by the chief but the Mayor brought them back."

He busied himself with his files, straightening them as he spoke as though nervous. Kagome realized how large the situation was through his movements. The man was nervous. Those women aren't on forced vacation... she thought. They're on pre-funeral beds!

"Is there anything I can do?" she asked, wanting to help him. She stopped playing with her hair, looking him directly in the eyes. He would think there was little she could do, no doubt. He would think she was a newbie at dangerous or potentially dangerous situations.

Unfortunately, or fortunately whichever way one were to look at the situation, he didn't know about her years growing up, prowling the streets and getting into fights with the bullies from the public school.

Shino shook his head, "No, not unless you have some strange death wish. But hey, everyone needs a wish to live on. Mine is that I see my son have grandchildren."

Kagome decided a change in subject was due. They had talked for several hours already but she still didn't know about Medallion and he was a main thing she wanted to talk about.

His handsome face floated in her vision for a moment and she couldn't help but grin as the image altered to become heavily bruised. Medallion was her favorite punching bag back at those times.

"How is Medallion anyway? Is he still up to his old tricks?" Shino gave her a confused look and Kagome laughed. He didn't know about Medallion's skipping school all the time to heckle the private school students. "I mean is he still as rambunctious as I remember him?"

"Well, no. He certainly has calmed down quite a bit. He doesn't have a new girlfriend each month, thank goodness, but he had just recently been in college for his first semester and for some odd inexplicable reason came home. I guess it's good he did because of the boy he found on the way home, poor kid..." Kagome watched the emotion flicker over the police detective's face and heaved a sigh.

She knew she had to do something to help Shino, but at the moment her mind was overloaded with all the people she wanted to help. How did the Wood Fairy decide who to help? She wondered. Did the Wood Fairy have as much trouble as she was having?

Shuichi, Sammy, Kanna, and Karei...all of them she had to help, and she wanted to get to the bottom of the fishy mystery of Kikyou and Kaede. She didn't even have to do anything, but she wanted to.

Oddly enough, the strange thought popped into her mind. "There are too many people with their names starting in 'A' and 'S'." she told Shino and he laughed.

"I agree on that. Far too many. I was thinking of changing my name to Onihs, but then it would just sound weird."

* * *

Kagome chuckled, leaning against the cell door with a grin. She had warned him that he would go to jail if he didn't leave things to her, and now there he was, sitting behind bars.

"You're such a nuisance. I told you not to do it, but you did. Now here comes Kagome, to the rescue."

Sesshoumaru stood from the cot and Kagome recalled it was the same cell she had been in when she'd been in jail for beating up Naraku. She thought it was funny how everything seemed to bring her thoughts back to her father, no matter what it was. "Hmph. I enjoyed beating him. I don't regret it at all." He told her.

Kagome reached her hand into the cell, holding it out knuckles up expectantly. "Kiss it." She smirked. "Call me Queen, beg forgiveness for not listening to me, and maybe, just maybe, I'll get you out of here."

She found extreme humor in the thought of him humbling himself enough to beg, considering he was a prince. She felt that smirk widen when he looked at her like she was cracked up on drugs. "You heard me. Kiss it. Humble yourself before me, Mister Royal-Pain-In-My-Bum."

She thought for a moment and added as an after thought, "And kneel too." She was irritated at him and she wanted to watch him embarrass himself in front of her. It would cheer her up, at least, after all the bad things happening around her and within her life.

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes. "Would you be surprised if I didn't do it?" he asked her, his hand running through his hair. Kagome noticed the difference between Sesshoumaru and Yuri then; Sesshoumaru wore a charm to cover his demon traits and Yuri did not. Sesshoumaru was afraid to show his demon heritage, and Yuri was not.

She shrugged. "Not really, but then again, would you be surprised if I left you here for the next thirty days to cool off after your charge of disorderly conduct? Inuyasha said that your father was uninterested in getting you out of jail. Kiss it, or miss it."

She felt the curious tug at her lips go further towards her ears when he began walking over to her, but found herself to be very disappointed when he grabbed the bars of the door and leaned his forehead against them. He didn't appear to be kneeling very well, did he?

"Kagome Higurashi..." she felt her eyes lock onto his and found she enjoyed the way her name rolled from his mouth. What would he do? Would he kneel like she asked, or would he not?

Why was he speaking to her in that voice, and why couldn't she move her eyes from his? What was he doing to her? Why was she feeling so light headed?

"...You've got a bloody nose." He wasn't doing anything to her, but instead it was just her nose interrupting her fun. She could feel the blood dripping onto her lips and it was none-too-pleasant.

She now had reason to be angry with a body part, because while the rest of her body wasn't doing it, her nose was conforming to the populace and interrupting her right when things were getting interesting.

Her hand clutched the bar of the cell and she could feel her head spinning and had to lean against the cell for support. "Damn." Kagome reached into her pocket and took out the bloody tissues, placing them to her nose. "Must be my allergies acting up." She gave him a glare. "I'm allergic to dogs."

"You're the worst liar I have ever been privileged to meet." He informed her. He still wasn't kneeling, or calling her Queen, or doing anything she told him to do really. She sneezed and more blood started coming out of her nose; her eyes were beginning to blur.

"Aww. This is really irritating." She nodded to the man behind the glass down the hall and the cell door began to swing open. "You owe me big time." She felt cheated that she was letting him off the hook and he wasn't humiliating himself in front of her.

To see a prince humble himself before her would have been a memory she could have looked back on and laughed a great deal, but instead her nose had to be evil. Besides that, she had blood dripping from the soaked tissues and was in need of new ones. "I need a vacation..." Kagome muttered.

On their way out, Kagome stopped in Shino's office again and when Shino heard her enter he looked up from his work. He gave her a startled glance and then looked to Sesshoumaru as though wondering if Sesshoumaru had hit her. He hadn't, of course, but Shino didn't know that.

"Miss Kram—" Kagome interrupted him, feeling a slight satisfaction for interrupting someone else for once. "Just Kagome, Shino. Got any tissue? My nose is bleeding."

Shino shook his head and scratched his neck. "I see that...Not really. I've got a 'kerchief though. That's a lot of blood...are you okay?"

Kagome's head was reeling. "Make it stop spinning..." she muttered as the world began to spin around her head. Blood was dripping down her arm into the wool of the jacket.

Two tissues weren't enough to hold it all. She collapsed then, knocking into Sesshoumaru, who had been unprepared—he hadn't been paying attention.

Both of them went sprawling across the wooden floor in Shino's office, Kagome's head landed on his thigh and her hand fell away from her nose. Blood began to soak his clothing and he stared at it blindly. Her eyes were unresponsive.

Shino was on his feet immediately. To Shino, it was clear that Sesshoumaru—though he was going to medical school—was disgusted by blood. Perhaps it even made the boy sick to his stomach. The time to ponder isn't now, Shino berated himself.

"Here are two prescriptions, just be sure to take them and you'll be fine." The doctor told her, his hands busy marking up a piece of prescription paper. The nurse had left already and Kagome was not sure if she was ready to be alone with the lecherous old man who had, just a month before, decided her breasts were ripe for the touching.

Kagome took the slips of paper and thought about Shino and Sesshoumaru who were waiting out in the lobby for her. "What do they do?" Kagome asked, looking at the slips of paper dubiously. She wished she had someone in the room with her.

Her head was still woozy feeling and her arms felt like jelly for some reason, so she knew if he decided to be perverted, any attempt at stopping him in his tracks would be laughed off. Hell, even Sesshoumaru would be a god-send!

Fortunately for her, the doctor—Mr. Pilaf—was distracted by other things. She didn't know what those things were or if she wanted to know, but he kept his hands where they were supposed to be throughout the check up.

She had passed out in Shino's office, but when they got to the hospital she'd been fading in and out of consciousness. Mr. Pilaf had given her something that kept her from falling out again.

"The Ampetunicince is a pill you'll take when you get the bloody nose or if you begin coughing up blood. The Portaculant is a liquid and it will help your body get used to the transformation you previously went through almost three years ago."

Of course he would know about that, Kagome thought. The information would be in her medical records. "I will warn you to use the Portaculant only as recommended because it is also used to replace blood. If you get a nose bleed after taking the Portaculant, take one Ampetunicince and that will clear it up."

"And this is going to work? You are sure?" Kagome asked him, running a hand through her hair as she looked at the slips of paper. One thing was for sure, she could only be happy to get rid of the freakish version of her mother who kept trying to kill her in her nightmares.

He handed her a third slip of paper, his movements brisk as he did so. She got the feeling that someone had said something about her that made him nervous and it was that thought that made her smile. Finally something went right.

He attempted a lofty voice as he said, "Of course it will. Who is the doctor here? I should think I would not have to tell you not to double dose. If you miss taking the Portaculant once, do not take a double dose of it, as you could easily end up with internal bleeding, and the Ampetunicince does not clear the internal bleeding up."

Kagome quirked an eyebrow at him as he pointed to the third slip of paper, "That is a prescription"—Thank you, Captain Obvious, Kagome thought wryly—"for the pill form of Recotunpario. It will—"

"Relax me. It's a stronger form of Valium. I know." Great, just what I needed, an even stronger Valium to get hooked on. Toss me the pills, doctor. Thanking him but not voicing her thoughts, Kagome slipped off the bed and walked towards the waiting room.

Shino met her at the door to the waiting room and she gave him a slightly embarrassed grin. He didn't have to wait for her. The fact that he did made her think she was more than just some chick that he had put in jail at one point in his life.

She wasn't sure why it bothered her to think that he would think of her as only a passing glance but she knew it did bother her. Am I attracted to the man? Am I fickle? The thoughts were reasonable she supposed, but the fact that she got no answer to them unnerved her.

"What did he say?" Shino asked her in a soft voice as they rejoined Sesshoumaru and she slipped the three prescriptions in her pocket.

She wasn't sure why the doctor had given her Recotunpario, but she wasn't sure if she would fill the prescription. She figured Valium worked well enough, she would just use the Valium she had if she found she needed to be calmed.

"He gave me a couple of prescriptions and said I'd be fine if I didn't overdose on them." Sesshoumaru snorted his disdain, earning a frown from Kagome. "Hey, you. I could send you right back to jail, so shut up." She was his 'get out of jail free' card, and she was most certainly going to hold it against him.

She had done him a favor, and she always reaped the most benefit from those favors she gave to people she didn't like. It was her way of doing things. Of course, most of the time those people didn't realize it, which also suit her well.

Shino felt a wide smile crossing his face as he watched Sesshoumaru bristle. These two are quite the cute couple, he thought, though he did not know that Sesshoumaru and Kagome were not a pair and were in fact quite the opposite.

But still, Kagome and Sesshoumaru would be a cute pair, if only they would see that as well. Unfortunately, love is a blind; when it is down you cannot see to the outside. It would be a while before anyone opened the shutters for those two.

"You could send me back to jail, but somehow I get the feeling you don't have the nerve." Sesshoumaru spat. He could feel his anger growing, but he clenched it tight.

He had never lost his anger before, not even when he was beating up the trucker Sammy had identified as the perpetrator who raped her.

He knew that soon that pride at holding his continuously growing anger in containment would end because the bindings would snap and he wasn't sure what would happen then, but he also knew that there were only two things that could result: something good, or something bad.

He desperately wanted it to be something good, but knew that most likely it would be bad. After all, bad things tended to formulate around him just as much as he was a magnet of weird people.

Kagome narrowed her eyes at him, trying to leash her anger. She would only be laughed at if she threw a fist at him. She was as weak as a kitten at the moment. "You're such an ass, Sesshoumaru. It couldn't hurt you to thank me once in your life for helping you."

She plastered a smile on her face and said her goodbyes to Shino, who was barely managing to contain his smile, before stalking past Sesshoumaru. The police station was where she parked her car, and thankfully the police station was also right across the street from the hospital.

She had to get away from Sesshoumaru. He irked her last nerves like no one else could, and he managed to do it with only one sentence too.

As Kagome was driving back to her apartment, her mind found its way back to the kisses Sesshoumaru gave her. She was always left breathless, as though she were riding an avalanche down a mountain, or trying to outrun one anyway.

The very first kiss between her and Sesshoumaru out in those woods had been so exhilarating. She had never in her life been kissed like that before. She had never felt so much emotion in a kiss and it was as though she had truly been born, or woken up, at that moment.

She had learned just months later that he had always had a crush on her. That had been a slap in the face. To think, she'd always thought that he was in an arranged marriage with her cousin and had harbored a secret crush on him as well, until finally one day she had woken up and instead of Sesshoumaru being the one who gave her heart eyes, it was Kohaku.

All that time she could have been with him, but Karei had to lay a claim on him instead. She hadn't wanted those days to end, she recalled. During the Christmas that she had spent with the Nokugami boys, she had found she wanted to just let time stop.

Every kiss, every brush of their arms, every glance he had sent her way made her hungry but not for food; and she had to hide that fact too, which was not easy.

Kohaku, mysterious though he had become after the kidnapping, was no match for Sesshoumaru. Kagome was in love with mystery, and Kohaku was only an apple blossom on the tree of mystery.

Sesshoumaru was a fully ready lush red apple ripe for the picking; he was an enigma and she found that she wanted to know everything about him. It was a startling realization to admit that to her self; a large piece of pie to swallow.

She thought it inappropriate for her to be thinking about Sesshoumaru so much while not sparing Kohaku a single thought but as she reasoned in her head at a red light, it was her thoughts, who was she to tell them what to think about?

The image of herself yelling at her mind for thinking of Sesshoumaru made her laugh. The woman in the vehicle next to her saw her laughing and gave her an odd look before turning the corner.

Kagome tried to contain her laughter until she got home and just barely managed to do so, falling onto the floor in the loft and cracking up in hysterics as her mind struggled to think about something funny to give reason to her laughter but there really was nothing funny aside from the thought of yelling at herself and that wasn't that funny.

Her mind whizzed with all the very un-funny things that had been happening in her life recently, or the lives of others would be more accurate to say. She seemed to attract all the people who were magnets for trouble, and didn't really have too many of her own problems. Perhaps that was why she liked mysteries?

By the time her mind had finished reviewing all those sickening, infuriating, and scandalous memories, she was crying. She didn't care whether or not she was the only one in the apartment or that Kagura had come up to the loft to see what the noise was about; she didn't care that Kagura had wrapped comforting arms around Kagome or that she was digging her dangerously sharp nails into her shoulders trying to hug herself to death.

The truest bad thing to happen to Kagome in her entire life—and not even the beatings could compare!—was her father's death. She wanted him to be alive more than anything.

She couldn't deny that everything was leading back to him. The town was small and she and her father had covered almost every inch of it together in her youth. They had gone shopping together, and they had sung karaoke together, and they had played in the park together... there was so much she had done with him!

She would never be able to escape his memory and worse yet she wasn't sure she even wanted to. She was sure she would rather hurt inside, berate herself for procrastinating, than have him living a life pained by the curse the android's flesh gave him.

Oh, but what she wouldn't give just to hear his voice one more time...just to hear him read to her one last time...just to be tucked in one final time...

* * *

The man on the stage took a deep breath, his blue eyes scanning the crowd in the bar called the Rave. He and his small band played twice a week at the Rave, which was quite the privilege. He knew his band was good, but to be good enough for eight days at the Rave a month was a big deal. Other bands—and there were several small bands in Sunset—were lucky to play just one day a month.

His smile spread as he eyed the packed place, though it was no more packed when his band played than any other night it still gave him confidence versus if there were only a few people in the club. He looked at his digital watch and saw the time was nearing seven PM.

He turned to face two of his closest friends, Hiten and Manten Dansuka, and gave them the thumbs up. Trying to talk to them in the noisy bar would have been ridiculous, because they wouldn't have heard each other and they weren't magically able to read lips—that was a taught skill, not inborn.

It was a wonder that anyone heard their songs over the raucous, but they were paid one hundred dollars for each night they played—each. In his mind that was pretty good money considering they only played for three hours a night.

As the lights in the main area of the bar dimmed, the noise in the bar seemed to heighten, but Kouga was unfazed. The first time he had played in the Rave he remembered being terrified of the fact that the noise got louder; he'd always had the idea that when lights were dimmed the attention would be on the only place in the room that was still lit.

Unfortunately an intoxicated mind worked much differently than a sober one more often than not.

The microphones were on, the amps were turned up, and the band began to play. Kouga, or Wolf Man as was his band name, was the vocals and guitar player. Manten, or Big Guy, was on drums and a back up vocal. Hiten, also known as Thunder, was on keyboard or the bass depending of the song and was a secondary vocals.

Today Hiten was playing the keyboard. All the songs were written by the fourth member of their band, though that member preferred to remain anonymous considering if the prince were to reveal himself as a simple band player, he felt it would drag to much attention to him. Kouga loved the attention.

Kouga began singing the song that he and the others had memorized. He let the music wash through his soul as he sang, though if he told anyone that he tried to put his soul into his music he was sure they would either think him gay or cracked.

Either one wasn't very prospective, though, so he wouldn't tell anyone that he put his heart and soul into the things he sang. "I find myself in the odd position, still helplessly loving you; I cannot fathom this insane mission, I'm still helplessly loving you. I find a drink, 'Just one' I'll say, but find myself drinking all my wiles away."

Manten crashed the cymbals with his drumsticks and Hiten sang the first part of the chorus. Kouga knew Manten wanted to sing, but unfortunately the large fellow had zip to no voice so that was why he was a 'back up' vocal.

"Miles away, you laugh and you cry; deep down inside, I know the fault is mine." Kouga could barely hear Hiten's voice and as usual he worried that they weren't loud enough, but knew they would sound ridiculous if they started getting louder all of a sudden.

Kouga raised his voice again and began singing once more. "I couldn't stay though, love; I had to leave. You'll understand when you're happy with another man."

This time as the second part of the chorus came up, Kouga sang with Hiten and he could only hope that his and Hiten's voices were on the same key. "My tears, my sorrow, my joy, my heart; that is you, girl, it has been from the start...Miles away, you laugh and you cry; deep down inside, I know the fault is mine."

Hiten's attention diverted to the keyboard and Kouga stepped slightly back from the microphone, watching his finger movements to get a particularly tricky set of notes right. Normally he didn't have to look at his hands, but he couldn't hear what he was playing and he didn't want to screw up the song.

After the slight interlude, Kouga moved to the microphone again. His father disapproved of him playing at the Rave; he said that music was useless and a waste of time. Kouga didn't think so; he thought music moved the soul and kept life in the world.

"To say I am happy with what I have done, t'would be a lie and that's a drink of which I'll have none...Honesty, baby, that's something you loved; but you treat me like baggage and it makes me wonder if your love dissolved..."

Hiten took over the microphone and Kouga stepped back. He was so into the music that he started bouncing on his heels to the tempo of the music. He couldn't hear Hiten over the huff of the bar, but in his mind he knew what was coming next.

"And how was I supposed to know that you loved me right back, when all you did was drag me to the sack? My tears, my sorrow, my joy, my heart; that is you girl, it has been from the start...You'll never know that I still love you, because I know you'll be happy just being without me."

Kouga moved back to his microphone and sang the last verses with Hiten. They had already decided to omit several stanzas because otherwise the song would exceed their planned time.

"Miles away, you laugh and you cry; deep down inside, I know the fault is mine... My tears, my sorrow, my joy, my heart; that is you, girl, it has been from the start... My heart, my joy, my tears, my sorrow; I'll love you today and all of tomorrow..."

They played for another hour and ten minutes before it was time to take a ten minute break. When the three of them were in the band room, the sounds out in the main area of the Rave had dimmed considerably and they found their ears ringing at the sudden change. "I hear bells!" Hiten said, shaking his head to clear it. "Manten, how are you feeling?" Hiten said with worry towards his brother's condition.

Manten was sitting in a chair taking deep breaths and held his hand to his chest. He looked pale. "I'm okay, big brother." He said, though it seemed a startling statement for him to make considering he was bigger than his older brother.

Manten had recently undergone months of chemotherapy to cure breast cancer—which was not uncommon for men to get, though slightly more unlikely—but a couple side effects of the successful treatment was his hair fell out and shortness of breath.

Kouga was glad that Manten had survived because he knew how it was to lose someone to breast cancer as he had lost his mother to the disease.

"Hey, Manten, why don't you take a longer break, huh? Hiten and I'll take care of things on stage and—"

"No!" Manten said angrily. "If Hiten can do it, I can too!"

"Kouga, can you go get some water? We've still got seven minutes before we have to get on stage again and I'm parched." Kouga didn't have to be asked twice; he knew Hiten intended to talk his brother out of going back on stage. The heat of the lights on the stage served only to make Manten shorter of breath.

Kouga left the room to go to the bar in the main room. The barkeep was already filling up a pitcher of water for him and had three glasses ready. Unfortunately, as fate would have it, he ran into a lovely young girl before he could get to the bar.

The girl yelped and went crashing into a big guy, both of them sprawling over the ground in a tumble of limbs and grumbles. "Oh, no!" Kouga helped the girl to her feet. He wondered what had possessed him to stop paying attention to his surroundings; normally he didn't randomly run into chicks.

"Sorry about that!" Kouga shouted to be heard over the bar noise. He began dusting her off before blushing and realizing just what body part he was brushing off.

"Don't worry about it." The girl shouted back, flipping her brown hair over her shoulder. Kouga had to admit, she looked pretty cute. Her mud-brown eyes were framed with long feminine lashes behind her glasses and her lips were swollen as though she'd just been kissing someone.

He wouldn't doubt it if she was in this place, but when he looked away from her face to survey her clothing, he realized it was probably very likely that she was recently kissing someone. Kouga hadn't ever seen a girl wear clothes like she was wearing, though he knew they were made.

She wore the tightest black leather pants that showed off tight seemingly impossible (for a girl) formed muscles, black open toed stilettos that showed crimson painted toenails, a tight leather jacket that was zipped slightly but showed more than enough cleavage to make a grown man cry with wanting and showed much of her stomach allowing the world to see her abs.

Her hair was cut to her shoulders but seemed to frame her face, her lips were covered with crimson paint and her eyes harbored the same shade of eye shadow, her fingernails were long, perfectly manicured, and crimson covered.

She was sleek, sexy, and he liked her look, that was for sure. He also couldn't help but notice she seemed to have quite the noticeable bust size, which was a good plus in his mind.

"I'm Kouga Wolfe—" He was cut off by the distinct shout of BAR FIGHT by one of the many drunken Rave frequenters before the girl was sent flying by the big man that Kouga had bumped her into. His eyes went wide and he felt his anger growing as he realized that a man had just hit a woman.

He had grown up learning that a man should never hit a girl—he had never known exactly why a man should never hit a woman but it had grown up to be one of his morals in life—but before he could confront the man, the girl was getting up off the floor.

The bar had gone silent the instant the girl had hit the floor. Bar fight news traveled fast and everyone wanted to see what the outcome would be before the police came to break the fight up. Many people found their ears ringing with the fight induced silence and when the girl spoke they clung to the small amount of noise her voice made.

"You'll regret that." She informed the man, turning to face him before she bent down to pick up the glasses that had flown from her face, inspecting the broken item. "Hmph, do you realize I had to pay three hundred and eighty dollars for these things?" It was as though she didn't care that there was a large blue bruise forming by her eye.

"Spilled all my drink!" he waved to the wet spot on his pants. His eyes were quickly becoming blood shot as his anger enhanced his inebriated state. His hands clenched and unclenched; he was more than ready for a fight.

"What's your problem? If you're that bothered by it, you could pass it off as you wet your pants—I'm sure that no one else would notice much a difference from your normal state." She had suggested that the large man wet his pants on a daily basis, proving that the man could get angrier than he'd already been.

If Kouga weren't worried the woman would get the shit beat out of herself, he might have laughed. He was actually debating stepping in between the woman and the large man, but he was unable to do so as the man beat him to the punch and had the girl by the throat and was holding her up off the floor.

"You!" The large man snarled. Contrary to popular belief, Kouga would have never believed what happened next if he had not seen it in person or heard it.

"And here I thought we got through the introductions!" the woman wheezed.

She stretched her lithe body, wrapping her legs around his arm. Kouga was reminded of a cat and how it could stretch its body into such impossible positions to clean itself. He actually had the inappropriate thought of what it might be like to have such a limber woman wrap her legs around his waist and...Where are these thoughts coming from?

A snap interrupted his thoughts and he saw the woman fall to the ground on her hands, her legs still wrapped around the man's arm which was held at an angle that certainly should not have been humanely possible. The man's scream permeated the air and Kouga felt a pop in his ears as his eardrums burst.

He concentrated on his ears for a moment, telling his body to heal the popped drums, and slowly they mended, though the blood that had come out of his ears before he healed them was still there. He used his sleeve to dab at the blood while the woman was letting go of the man's arm, tipping herself back onto her feet.

"Step back!" there came the police voice, moments too late. The man was crying and the bone was sticking out of his arm. Kouga would have been surprised if the man didn't cry.

Drunk or not, that had to hurt, and seeing a wound always made things seem so much worse; Kouga had had plenty of broken bones courtesy of someone he preferred to call "mutt-face" and wouldn't mention his name so he knew this from experience.

Slowly the crowd was parted and the police—who Kouga could only assume were called by the evening managers—walked up to the man and woman. There were two—one male and one female police officer.

"What's going on here?" The male police officer asked, examining the broken arm of the big offender.

The female officer looked at the woman in leather, examining the woman's black eye. "I think it's obvious, Kor. The guy attacked her!"

"He punched me and then tried choking me, so I broke his arm." The woman said, placing her right hand on her left hip, and her left hand on her right hip. With the fight broken up, the crowd began to disperse and the noise level of the bar began to grow again.

Kouga sighed, glad the woman would be alright, and moved to the bar, grabbing the pitcher of ice water. The male police officer was taking the man out of the bar; the female police officer was following them out.

Kouga saw the woman looking around and walked up to her again. He felt he should apologize considering he was at fault for the entire situation being the one who knocked into her. "I'm sorry." He told her seriously.

"No problem—what did you say your name was again?"

Kouga waved to the door saying "band personnel only" as the noise reached its' peak once more. "Why don't we talk about this where it's quiet? And it's Kouga Wolfe." He wondered how she got out of going down to the station, but then disregarded it. Some people were lucky, he supposed.

The woman nodded and seconds later they had made it to the band room. As soon as the sounds dimmed enough that they could hear themselves think, Hiten confronted Kouga.

"Dude, we're on in like less than a minute!" He took the pitcher of water and drank the water right out of the large carrier.

Manten coughed slightly, receiving a worried glance from his elder brother, but it was only a simple cough. "Who's the lovely lady?" he inquired when he could speak without sounding weak again. "I don't think I recognize you, miss..?"

Manten was quite the gentleman when he wanted to be, charming even if he wasn't all that good looking. He took her hand in his and placed a gentle kiss on the knuckles.

"Yukimura. Keiko Yukimura." Her crimson lips were quirked in a smirk of irony. "Charmed, I'm sure." She, in turn, gave him a kiss on the cheek and laughed when his cheeks turned the same hue as the lipstick stain now on his cheek.

Kouga took the pitcher of water from Hiten and took a gulp of the ice cold liquid, then handed the pitcher to Manten. "So..?" he asked Hiten quietly. Hiten didn't need to be a rocket scientist to realize what Kouga was getting at and he gave a small, tight smile and shook his head.

"Ready Manten?" Hiten asked. "If you get tired, I want you just to get off the stage."

"Geez, I'm not a little kid anymore, Hiten." Manten said, blushing further to be talked down to in front of a woman. The two left the room to go up onto the stage.

"I'd like to speak with you, but I've got to sing." Kouga grumbled. He had completely lost track of time during the fight and that usually wasn't like him.

If only he wasn't thinking about having Keiko's legs wrapped around his waist and crushing those still swollen lips to his...Stop thinking, Kouga! He yelled at his mind.

"I'll watch you, and you can speak with me afterwards. Perhaps you can help me out too."

The idea of her staying to watch him, though it was strange considering he only met her a few minutes before, made him strangely pleased. "Cool." He dashed out of the room to get up on the stage and time seemed to go so slow.

He had never before wanted the evening singing to get over faster. She was sitting at the back of the room in a booth, her legs split up in a very suggestive position. He admired her thin, very attractive body and found his eyes locking with hers.

After they were done singing, Kouga, Manten, and Hiten had to pack up their equipment and load it in Kouga's van so Kouga could take it to the Sunset City Hall Monday night or else they would not be able to play during the reception of Kali's wedding.

Kouga had been very pleased when Souta had asked for his band—it was such an honor to be able to do something like that for Sunset's Shrink.

"See yah later," Hiten told Kouga with a grin and a glance towards where Keiko was seated. Kouga rolled his eyes and muttered, "It's not like that," but Hiten didn't hear; he was too busy driving off down the street towards home.

Kouga went and sat in the booth that Keiko was in and found even more inappropriate thoughts dragging into his mind, ranging from simple ones to the more complex such as how many ways could Keiko use the tongue that was currently wetting her lips.

"So Keiko, are you new to town? I'm sure I would recognize such a beautiful girl." He gave her a grin and tried to force the thoughts out of his head but it wasn't working.

"You could say that." Keiko admitted her eyes half lidded as she took a drink of her alcoholic beverage.

"I'm...um..." Kouga stammered; even more thoughts had bombarded his mind and he found himself incomprehensible.

He normally was much more sure of himself; all of his girlfriends that he'd had he'd been very possessive of, but that usual arrogant possessiveness had flown out of him and he felt like a weak little kitten. He ordered a drink and came back to her table, sitting at it.

During the first drink, Kouga found her to be quite an interesting woman; he couldn't honestly say he remembered much of what they talked about after that.

When they had decided to go back to Kouga's apartment, he couldn't recall, but at the time it had felt so right. He would wake up with an enormous woman and a beautiful hangover in his arms. Wait, did he have that backwards? He was too drunk to know.

* * *

Kagome sighed and shifted on the couch, grumbling irritably. She decided the couch really wasn't the best sleeping place, but she had no where else to sleep. Already she could see having to get an apartment somewhere else, but where?

Kanna and Shuichi, against Kagome's better judgment, were sharing her loft bed though she honestly doubted anything would happen between them. Shuichi was a thief, but she was sure he wouldn't steal what was in plain sight.

Kagome would have shared the bed with Kanna, but she would have gotten woken up when Kanna went to school and she didn't want that.

Sometime around three AM, she heard a pounding on the wall next door and frowned. She didn't want to know, she didn't want to hear, and she was disgusted to even think of it. She and Kohaku had not been so noisy!


	15. Fifteenth Chapter

"I don't want to go! God damn it! Why the hell are you making me go to school?" Kagome groaned and shoved her pillow in her face. She hadn't gotten much sleep the night before because of an uncomfortable couch and the next door neighbors, and now Shuichi was going to be ridiculous.

Souta had—as agreed—come to pick up Kanna and Shuichi for their first day, and he was sitting at the counter while Kagura—in a green robe that Kagome recognized as one of her old ones—served him oatmeal and rice patties.

"Souta, bring me a rice patty." Kagome muttered, trying her best to ignore the screaming teen. She felt the rice patty land softly on her stomach and then it disappeared and she felt cheated. Shuichi had stolen her rice patty and was throwing it into the garbage. She stood and walked over to the boy, patting him on the back consolingly.

"You're a cute kid. But guess what? You're also annoying and need to learn manners." She bit back a yawn and watched Kagura pad barefoot around the kitchen. Kagome wondered where Yusuke and Hiei were, but figured they were probably at the Shrine.

"I'm not going!" Shuichi insisted. "The uniform is itchy and ugly and not my color, and—"

"Fine, don't go. But when child services come to get you and mark me an unsuitable parent, taking Kanna away as well because you wouldn't go to school, you can bet your ass you're going to regret not going."

Kagome took the new rice patty that Kagura was offering her and sat next to her brother, leaning her head on his shoulder. She wondered what she would do that day or if she would do anything.

She couldn't think of anything she would enjoy more than just laying down to sleep and never awaking again, joining her father in heaven or hell or where ever he had gone after death.

Shuichi cried out as he felt a nail digging into the cartilage of his ear. "You're going! There is no way you're making me leave my mum, now get the uniform on!" Kanna wouldn't take no for an answer.

Kanna may have been much smaller than him, but she could still reach up and grab his ear. Soon as she had it, he had to bend over to keep her from pulling on it too hard, and he found that standing at the odd angle made it very difficult to free him.

Kagome ignored them as Kanna dragged him up into the loft and began yelling at him to get changed.

"How much you wanna bet those two are going to be sleeping 'together' someday in the near future?" Souta muttered earning a laugh from Kagura and a startled glance towards the ceiling from Kagome. Souta slapped his hand down on the table, laughing at Kagome's 'motherly' behavior. "Relax Kagome, I'm only joking."

Kagome blushed. "Whatever." She muttered, shoveling food in her mouth to hide her embarrassment. Only when she felt that if she ate another rice patty she would vomit did she stop. It didn't take long to get sick of them; she had never been into rice patties much.

By the time Souta had left with Shuichi and Kanna, Kagura was cleaning up the breakfast. "Where is Sammy?" she asked, noting the fact that the girl's door was open but she didn't appear to be anywhere in the apartment.

That was not to say that the apartment was all that large to lose her, just that she took note that Sammy appeared to be gone.

"I took her to that one guy's house that she's seeing. If you see him with a black eye, it's from me." Kagura said quietly. When Kagome gave her a sharp look, Kagura raised her hands in defeat.

"I knew you wanted the story, so I questioned her for you. She told me everything from the number of gum wrappers on the man's table to how many nostril hairs sticking out of his nose."

Kagome made a face, trying to make light of the situation and she could say it worked but only marginally.

Kagura began the story as the two looked through Kagome's clothes for something to wear for the day. It was Kagura's intent to make Kagome take her around the town and show her the hot spots and Kagome's intent to show Kagura the police station, Ohanami park (where many of the fights broke out), and the Madison's Labyrinth just to let Kagura get lost and laugh.

She needed laughter. She also needed to try talking her mother out of the dress again, but that was beside the point. She somehow got the feeling her mother had made herself too busy to see her daughter until the wedding Wednesday.

"Oh! Is this your dress?" Speak of the devil—the devil here being the godforsaken dress that she had to wear. Kagome nodded miserably and her mind wandered to how many different deaths she could put the dress through. She doubted it would fit down the toilet, but taking a crap on it was still prospective.

"And no, I'm not trying it on." Kagome told her before she could say anything. "You'll get to see me in it on Wednesday and that's far enough."

Kagura chuckled and shook her head, pulling on a pair of jeans. Kagura liked to wear tighter pants than Kagome, but she did wear lose clothing as well. Kagome and Kagura surveyed each other skeptically.

Kagura was wearing her hair in the usual tight bun with the green feather and bead hairclip on the left side of her head, blue jeans, and a red tank top; they weren't going to do anything very important so they could easily wear less ornate clothing if they wanted.

Kagome, on the other hand, wanted to look nice because while they weren't really doing anything important she was thinking about going to see Kohaku at SPES and she wanted to look good for him.

She pulled on her old baggy black pants with the double set of silver stripes up the outside of the legs, the black wide strapped tank top with the inlaid bra, and her "Hell's Bitch" shirt.

Kohaku had always mentioned he liked that particular outfit on her more than the most elaborate gown she could wear, but in some deep part of her mind she couldn't wait to find out what he thought of her in the gown that Rin had made.

She would be walking up the aisle with Kohaku; Souta would be walking up the aisle with Sango.

Her gun was on the desk next to her badge, but she left it there. She wouldn't need it and she fully intended to spend the day as a civilian. There was no reason for her to take her gun and badge around town, lugging around the responsibility of the police when there seemed to be plenty of them to do that.

Briefly she wondered if she should drag out her bell jewelry, but shook herself mentally as she put her hair in a braid. She hadn't worn them since before graduation at Wyman.

She felt that the bells symbolized a responsibility to the community of Sunset and she wasn't sure if she wanted to prowl the streets at night with her friends keeping the streets safe; that job was for the policemen and women of the community and whether or not there was turmoil inside the police station with the Mayor acting funny, she was still confident they could handle what was out there.

Honestly, she couldn't wait until the wedding was over. Her mother and Kohaku's father did not expect her to stay away from Kohaku in "such a way" after the wedding and that was the plus.

Her mother would be happy, and so would she. Unfortunately, she would be very unhappy while her mother was being wedded...she still had to wear that dress!

* * *

Shuichi felt his blood boiling by the time lunch had come around. He always hated to be picked fun at, of course who didn't hate it, but for some reason he had always been subjected to more teasing in school. Kanna was the only familiar face but only because he'd gone to school with Kanna for a year and a half in Raspuit.

Kanna had never known him then, but Shuichi had noticed that even in Raspuit and even aside from the fact that she hadn't known him, she had always stuck up for him when people tried to pick fun at him. She did that for everyone though, which made people go out of their way to pick fun at her too.

Shuichi watched Kanna's face fill with emptiness as she listened to the taunts of the other students at the other tables around them. The two had been readily welcomed at Souta's table at lunch but that obviously did nothing to ease their status of "immediate outcast".

For some reason, being adopted by Kagome did not bring peace with the local students he noticed. Kagome wasn't widely liked among the students.

He wondered if Souta and the others at the table did not hear the taunts and teases of the students around them because many of them were about the others too.

Some people suggested that the girl with silver hair—Yuri was her name, if Shuichi remembered right—was having sexual relations with Souta since the two were living in the same house.

Other people suggested that Rin had multi-personality disorder because she wore the school uniform but would not join a normal group of students—non-outcast in other words.

Then there were the quickly spreading rumors about Shuichi and Kanna—the newest members to the table. Shuichi was actually a girl in disguise, which would explain why he kept his hair long and why his face was so feminine looking.

Kanna was given the lovely name of "Whitey" because of the fact that she looked more like a ghost in the school uniform than anything.

These things were hardly offending, but Shuichi was so used to being revered by the people around him for having such profound knowledge in technology that it was a serious matter and he was bordering on getting out of his seat and knocking some teeth out.

" Chiba was a second away from getting a shiner. I swear; I would have beaten him to death." Souta was saying. The others were engrossed in their own conversations and they didn't notice the angry look on Shuichi's face, or the fact that he was clenching and unclenching his fists.

Kanna was staring endlessly at the door that would take her outside the school should she choose to walk through it. Shuichi wasn't even sure she really was inside the school; she looked soulless at the moment.

Inside his mind, Shuichi heard the demon spirit speaking to him. Sometimes Youko could be an annoyance always being around him (or inside would be a better way to verse it), but other times he wasn't so bad to have around.

_Shuichi, just ignore them._ Youko told him quietly. The demon spirit was a whisper in his mind, no one else would be able to hear him. _True is the fact that we could easily string them up by their toes from the ceiling of this outrageous institute, but we're better than all of them._

"But—" Shuichi started and Kanna looked at him as though his voice had interrupted her reverie.

_No, Shuichi. There is no reason for complaint; there is no reason for question. Teasing is what an insecure person does. Back in twenty-six sixty-two, when I joined the demons to fight in the 100-year war, everyone laughed at me and suggested a pretty boy would never make it past a day. _

_Instead of fighting them for what they said, I fought beside them and made them realize their mistake when I saved them from death, several times over, with my magic control over plants. Give it time; they'll come to respect you soon enough. _

"I don't want to be you." Shuichi told the demon and clenched his fists miserably. He could feel the eyes of his table companions on him, not just Kanna but everyone else as well, and felt his face redden. His statement would seem very random to the others and it was that fact that made him feel embarrassed.

Youko seemed to have left him alone to deal with his embarrassment but Shuichi didn't want to deal with it. He just wanted to go back to Kagome's apartment.

He didn't want to hear the whispers, he didn't want to be a rumor, and he didn't want people to be so instantly judgmental of him. He pushed his tray away from him and placed his head down in his arms. He wanted more than anything an escape from the real world at that time.

Blocking the demon spirit from seeing his thoughts as he always did when he was depressed, he closed his eyes, waiting for the time when the bell would ring and he would be forced to go to his afternoon classes.

Shuichi and Kanna had been signed up for classes based on the grade percentage that they had gotten on the placement tests the day before when they had come to the school with Kali to enroll.

Shuichi and Kanna had been given the same schedules so Shuichi hadn't even looked at his. He had no idea what classes he would have.

He jumped when he felt someone touch his shoulder and sat up abruptly, turning to look and see who was there. Kanna yelped and the others laughed at the two who had been so disconnected with the world they hadn't noticed Kagome enter the school, or notice that whispers were spreading quickly about Kagome's return and questions of who Kagura was.

"Mum!" Kanna squealed excitedly and clutched Kagome and Kagura in a hug. "Fay!"

"Hey, Baby girl." Kagura said with a grin, returning the young girl's enthusiastic hug with a slightly less excited grip. Shuichi returned his head to his arms, not particularly animated about the fact that the two women were there.

"Wow, Kagome; you weren't lying when you told me you weren't liked." Kagura said and laughed. "I haven't heard a good thing said about you since we walked in here. It's like asking for death just hanging out with you."

Kagome shrugged. "Eh, I'm not too worried. There's a long enough waiting list and everyone near the top is no where closer than a hundred miles away." Shuichi tuned her out and concentrated on trying to find the closest plant source around with his mind; thanks to Youko's magic, the task was relatively easy.

It was just something to pass the time with, and it worked fairly well keeping his mind off of what he didn't want to think about: the rumors and how unfair it was that they were starting up again about him. He hated to be teased!

When the bell rang signifying the end of the lunch period, he sat up and found that Kagura and Kagome had gone. The fact that they came and went and hadn't said goodbye to him made him feel bitter; he didn't realize that they had said goodbye to him but he hadn't responded and instead had just ignored them even when they shook his shoulder. He hadn't felt the touch he was so wrapped up in his mind.

"Shuichi, come on." Kanna's quiet voice pulled him back to Earth from his place in another dimension. "We have study hall now in"—she took out the piece of paper upon which the schedule was printed and glanced at it—"computer room one hundred four."

He was startled when she took his hand and a blush crept to his face; blocking Youko out of his thoughts didn't work after that. _Do you like her, Shuichi? She is a pretty girl, and she's only a little younger than our physical body. _

Shuichi felt his face turn even redder and Kanna stopped pulling him towards their next class, giving him a small stare. "You're all red, Shuichi. Your face is putting your hair to shame!" She then noticed their clasped hands.

Her face turned a bright red and almost as though she'd touched a hot burner pulled her hand free of his and held it to her chest, seeming determined not to look at him as she continued walking.

"Kagura is going to apply for the school psychiatrist position; isn't that good news?" she seemed to be struggling to find some normal grounds between them after the hand incident.

"V-very g-g-good." He stammered. _You sound like a bumbling fool._ Youko informed him, whispering in his mind again. The worst part was that he knew that already; he didn't need the demon spirit to point that out.

Sometimes hormones could be a rollercoaster. He was finding out quickly that he didn't like to be last, and it seemed that at last his hormones were going to change from boy to man.

* * *

It was a job to take seriously. When he had received the phone call he had been startled by the person on the other end of the line. He hadn't heard from her in years, but he supposed he shouldn't have been so surprised; she never forgot a face or a name or a profession and his was renowned in the Decoloratio Venalicium.

He also supposed he should be worried about this, because the woman was not exactly the most stable person in the whole world and he didn't need to be a rocket scientist to realize that.

Her eyes had held that sort of distant insanity ever since her sister had been kidnapped by the government and turned into the first Cyborg of Japan—unofficially of course.

The government would most certainly not admit to any such illegal dealings and he worried that even though the woman's sister had been returned to her, the woman had not quite realized that the government no longer held her captive in a large round room made entirely of sanitary stainless steel.

As he loaded the plain black duffle bag with the necessary items that he would need to complete the task given him, he wasn't surprised to see his hands shaking. He hoped they wouldn't shake so badly when he was aiming the gun; he was very nervous about this job in particular while it seemed strange considering he was no amateur in the matter of assassination.

He had killed hundreds of people with a single bullet and still only one had eluded their death by his hand—a mere child of five years old had struck a note in his heart and he found he could not do as he was ordered and kill the girl like asked.

But now? He had come to realize that what he was going to be doing was betraying that little five year old girl who had seen him in the tree from the tops of the monkey bars in the park and waved at him before jumping to her father's awaiting arms.

Her father had thought the little girl was waving to him, but he knew better. The girl's eyes had clashed with his own, and since then he had considered himself retired in the field of killing even if he could not exactly retire formally.

Because it had been so long since he had last killed, the bosses in the Decoloratio Venalicium were pressuring him to take the job or be "fired" and he did not want to be "fired".

The term fired had many definitions, and in the Decoloratio Venalicium, it is a term that a man hoped he never had to hear in his life. If you could evade that term, you would be alright; if not, death by guillotine would be more graceful than what the executioner's squad had waiting at the end of the red carpet.

He wrapped a pinch of powdered Portaculant in rice paper and set it beside his computer desk. He knew the amount was deadly but if worse came to worst his chosen death would be far more inviting than torture and then death because he had failed his mission.

Someone had to die on Wednesday and as he zipped the bag up, he wondered if he ought to value that person's life over his own. He had been raised to value his life over the lives of every other being on the planet but surprisingly it had been a little girl who changed him though she didn't even know it.

She probably didn't remember seeing him in the park that day, or waving to him, or recall the glare the sun had sent her from the scope of his rifle. With a sigh, he resigned himself to two days wait. He wouldn't be going back to his normal job.

He had already called himself in sick and until the event was over, all he had to do was sit back and contemplate how it might all turn out. Of course, his mind could only fall back on one thought: that little girl would be torn apart by his decision.

There was nothing to do about it for what could he do? It was his job; he only hoped that she never found out the 'who-dun-it'.

As he walked towards his bed and sat down at it, his long wiry fingers found their way to the glass on the bedside table filled half full with the strongest brandy that money could buy. He stared into the golden depths of the liquid before tilting his head back and taking a large gulp of the alcohol.

Usually the liquid burned on the way down but this time it was a smooth course down his throat. The taste was a delight to his senses and the aroma of the liquid made him unable to help himself from smiling.

Letting the glass fall to the carpeted floor, the man let out a sigh and ran his hands over his shaved bald head. There was a reason for the lack of hair on his body.

Not only did he not look good with hair, he couldn't risk leaving any condemning hair follicles behind to point fingers at himself. Finally his hands came to rest over his eyes. He was contemplating shooting himself in the head or perhaps just taking the raw dose of Portaculant. That would work!

He still didn't know why his previous employer had wanted the little girl dead, but it was far too long ago to question it now.

He stood and shouldered the duffle bag with a grunt. He was careful not to handle the thing roughly. If the bullets fell free of their holders, he would find the bag to be jingling and he didn't want that. Noise was his worst enemy on the job.

It was time to take the bag and put it in the City Hall in someplace safe where no one would see. He would have a long maintenance ladder to climb so he could get up to the rafters, but at least everything would soon be over.

For him anyway... He almost couldn't wait, but when he thought about it further, he was still going to disappoint that little girl.

He could feel the stares as he walked down the street towards City Hall; he could sense the joyful air that hung over the town for the coming event Wednesday.

Everyone would be attending the wedding which would take place in the snowy courtyard at the Shrine. The vows would be given under the tree named the God Tree for reasons unbeknownst to him, and the reception would be held in the City Hall.

No matter which family you were from, it would just seem treasonous if a person did not show to support Sunset's Shrink on her day of happiness.

Did they realize that he was supposed to kill the very woman they were all going to celebrate the marriage of? The city Mayor herself had decreed that no one was to attend work on Wednesday from noon until five PM so people would be there for the exchanging of the vows.

Though this was not what made him uncomfortable it was still rather odd that a woman could possibly be held in such high respects that work would be called off for an entire half day. He had never thought he would see the day when a woman would be so...noticed.

* * *

Kouga had felt so bad when he woke up that morning that he had not even left his bed, much less called himself in sick. He could recall waking up and finding himself and the woman stark naked in bed but then had passed back out, too hung over to care much. Now, though, he realized his mistake.

He had been with a woman, for the first time, in such a way and the only thing he could recall about her was that her name was Keiko. He didn't even remember her last name or her appearance and that made him feel more than ridiculous and embarrassed.

He completely wanted to believe that she was not just a stranger that he had only known for a few short hours before ending up in bed with her.

He didn't go to school, obviously since he had not left his bed, and that fact made him feel depressed slightly. He had ended up in the sack with a stranger—What if she had AIDS? Or worse, that android disease that made men mad?—and he hadn't used protection either. He doubted she used birth control.

Finally he pushed himself out of bed, groaning when his muscles ached. She was long gone, and he was left to his thoughts all by his lonesome. He still had to take the music equipment to the City Hall or the band wouldn't be able to practice Tuesday night. After showering he felt a little better but the feeling was marginal and he still felt like (to put it simply) crap.

Kouga dressed in a pair of black pants and a loose tee-shirt, wanting to have the ability to move easily as he set up the instruments on the stage.

He didn't mind that there was a large rip in one of the pant's knees or that the pocket that used to be on the left breast of the shirt was ripped off; the clothes were still comfortable whether or not they were over-used.

He figured humorously that Jesus would love such clothes in their holiness. He wondered what the "buzz" was about religion. That brought him another chuckle but he wondered of his sanity if he had so many inside jokes with himself and basically none with anyone else.

He himself did not believe in such nonsense as faith; it wasn't going to get him a contract with a music company. He believed in hard work and luck. Shrugging on his jacket, he searched for his van keys and found them discarded on the floor by the front door.

When he left the apartment at two o'clock in the afternoon—he'd slept all morning—he saw someone familiar walking with someone not-so familiar down the hall towards him and he could swear he felt his jaw clunk on the floor.

Blinking a few times to make sure he wasn't dreaming, he snapped his jaw shut and had the fleeting feeling that he should say something. She probably didn't recognize him after so long being away.

He didn't know what it was about her but he had a crush on her since before pre-school. He used to make regular trips to her house because his mother had been ill and needed help from her mother.

It had been then that he had fallen for her and ever since then he had devoted himself to her. Unfortunately she had never looked at him as much more than a friend though so he had to back down after she had left.

As soon as she had come, she had gone and he was sore about the missed opportunity. He wondered if she was back for good or if she was just around to visit. He'd heard news that she was traveling the world.

Shoving her from his mind he left the building after her and found that she was, unsurprisingly, gone. When his rusted old van did not want to start, he got Mr. Obit to jump the battery and then drove across town to the City Hall.

It was not considerably far away but it took ten minutes to drive there with the two o'clock traffic buzz. His radio in the van did not work, and there were parts in the side that were rusted through inside and out, but at least he had a jacket on.

To take his mind off of the woman he hadn't known, he began humming a few verses from one of the many songs that the fourth band member had written. It worked, marginally, and when he got to the City Hall he found that carrying all the instruments and equipment up a giant stair took all of his attention so he didn't have to think of her or his mistake. When he was moving the large speaker boxes around on the stage, he saw one of his teachers, Mr. Hiatz, walking over to him.

"Kouga, don't you belong at school?" Mr. Hiatz asked with a small grin towards his student. Kouga stood and wiped his brow on his shirt. He had long since discarded his jacket from his body; the work he was doing made him sweat even in the cold City Hall.

Kouga looked at Mr. Hiatz and sat down on the large speaker, glad for the excuse to take a break, though why Mr. Hiatz was not at school was beyond him. He looked at the large clock on the wall and noticed that it was after four o'clock.

Mr. Hiatz was known for not staying longer than he needed at school, so he supposed it was reasonable. Kouga, on the other hand, normally had Chorus lessons Monday evenings at the school and then right after that he had band practice.

"I have to set the stage up." He told Mr. Hiatz, though that really wasn't his reason for not going to school. If he hadn't been so hung over from getting irresponsibly drunk, he would never have skipped. "Anyway, what'cha doing here?"

Mr. Hiatz shrugged slightly and said, "I was a bit late on my rent."

Kouga nodded his understanding. "You live in that apartment building owned by the mayor don't you?" Kouga's father lived in that same apartment building, so Kouga knew from experience that a late payment on rent needed to be brought directly to the City Hall and given to the Mayor's secretary, Johann Quip, a young bald man in his thirties.

"Exactly. But strangely enough, Quip wasn't in his office. I stuck the rent on his desk though, so it'll be there whenever he gets back. You're playing for the wedding, aren't you?"

Kouga felt his cheeks poke into a smile and he nodded. "Yeah. Hiten and Joel are psyched about it. We're giving up Wednesday night at the Rave this week so we can play for Mrs. Onigumo and Mr. Ichiro after they become Mr. and Mrs. Ichiro."

Mr. Hiatz chuckled and nodded. "I'll see you Wednesday then I suppose." Kouga nodded and waved, standing again to get back to work. He felt much better after his talk with Mr. Hiatz.

Not even the memory of his wasted virginity would wipe the smile off his face. Mr. Hiatz was his favorite teacher; he was as understanding of problems as Sunset's Shrink was. He didn't even have to speak of his problem to Mr. Hiatz.

With a grunt, he began moving things around on the stage again. Wednesday would mark a day in history for the town of Sunset. He was already sure that Mrs. Onigumo was going to be a legendary figure.

He did not know or realize, nor could he fathom, the type of person who would be more famous than Mrs. Kali Onigumo. It just didn't seem logical or plausible.

* * *

"I admit; I've complained a lot throughout my life. I spent my entire sixteenth birthday whining about how my sister dyed her hair pink. I'm not immune to the woes of mankind just because I am a bit more heard of than the average psychiatrist, nor do I pretend to be so. I am as eccentric as"—Kali scribbled out the writing on the page and sighed.

Her speech for the Annual Psychiatry Convention was not going well. She could feel her muscles aching and screaming in protest with every movement she made. She supposed years of neglect to her body made her this way. She needed to find a doctor, but knew that none in Sunset would be able to help her with her strange condition.

"Well, well, if it isn't Sunset's Shrink." The drawling voice brought her head up immediately and she stared at the skeptical man in front of her for a moment before registering who it was in her mind.

A broad smile crossed her young features and she stood, walking over to the man in the doorway. He held his arms out to her in an informal greeting and she walked into them, embracing him carefully.

When they parted, she surveyed him and noticed that he looked exactly the same he ever did. His dirty straw blond hair was, as usual, pulled back at the nape of his neck and his bright green eyes were laughing even though his tone sounded as happy to see her as a person was happy to be stung by a swarm of killer bees. He had gained more weight, she realized, though it was only in muscles not fat.

Hidden deep in the depths of his eyes he harbored a tormented past of which she knew everything about though it was no worse than her own past she knew. Half of the reason she spent the nights in the library after a nightmare was because of the past—one of which she had told no one about; or at least no one except the man who now stood in her office door.

"Toshu, what a surprise! I was unaware you were coming!" She said happily and gave him a second hug.

He chuckled, very much a different man than when he dealt with Lea Saeko or Kagome Higurashi or the children who came into the Child Services department in the Raspuit Police Station. "I found a doctor for the creak in my leg. I'm tired of limping because of the pain and worrying about the band breaking. Coincidentally, she's here in Sunset."

Kali gasped and her fingers clutched his arm harder than she had meant. Her excitement at those few words made her feel very happy indeed and she said to him, "You found a doctor?"

* * *

Raine sighed and tapped on her knee, sitting in the sewing room with Kikyou, Rin, and Kaede. She wondered what in the world had possessed her when she had agreed to protect the two Motshuria girls.

She hadn't thought it would be so time consuming making sure the two girls were not noticed in the house but there was no bathroom downstairs and the girls couldn't very well piss in a bucket either. Not only was that unsanitary, but it was unconventional after the delightful invention of the toilet.

Keeping Harvey out of the basement had also proven to be very tasking lately. He seemed to be as suspicious as the Mayor was, constantly popping in at a moment least suspected.

Raine knew it was only a matter of time before the secret was found out, but Raine also had a plan in mind for when he did. Harvey was easy to handle, but it was Curinrin that worried Raine.

Curinrin seemed to have her own agenda the past few days, doing strange things in the middle of the day. Normally she slaved over dinner for the coming night all day to make sure everything was perfect so there would be no left-over food.

Since the night of the raid, she had been gone for long hours at a time. Where she disappeared to was unknown, but it made Raine nervous and edgy. She didn't like being nervous and edgy either; it was an unknown emotion to her.

She lived life on the edge in the Decoloratio Venalicium, and never before had she felt nervous. She had always been confident in herself. How long had Curinrin known about Rin being a Cyborg?

How long had Curinrin known about Raine's illegal career choice? How long was it before Harvey found out too and threw Raine into jail?

Finally Raine couldn't take it anymore. She got up off her cushion and began pacing nervously. She felt the eyes of the other three girls following her progress back and forth until Rin stood and forced Raine towards the staircase. "Go get some fresh air, sister." Raine heard Rin hiss irritably.

With a sigh, Raine looked at the two other girls in the room. Kaede was wearing one of Rin's yellow sundresses and Kikyou was wearing a tank top and pants that belonged to Raine. Kaede had her hair hanging down half of her face so the cloth covering her dead eye was not seen.

Kikyou was drawing a diagram of memorized parts in one of Raine's textbooks on androids and labeling it with the book closed beside her on the floor, only opening it when she was unsure of a certain part.

Finally she turned and walked up the stairs, closing the door at the bottom of the stairs behind her and then heading through the top door. Curinrin was not in the house and Harvey was at work.

Raine's intent was to skip class and just go shopping or something relaxing, but when Rin came out of the stairwell with her backpack, she knew she would have to go to class. Shouldering her backpack with yet another sigh, she looked out the window at the winter wonderland that lay beyond the glass.

"You'll call me if there is something?" She really didn't like to be so nervous, having to jump and shove the two girls into the hidden room at the first sign of trouble. Another thing she really didn't like was snow.

It happily bit at her toes as she stood outside waiting for the taxi that Rin had called. Five minutes went by and her toes were frozen inside her tennis shoes.

By the time ten minutes had passed and she was thinking about abandoning going to school—she was wearing a skirt for gracious sakes, though why anyone wore tennis shoes and a skirt, she had no idea (yet was doing it)—the taxi pulled up to her house and, shivering from head to toe (why had she not gotten a coat?), she was on her way to the college.

The taxi slid dangerously on the road as they turned some corners even though the driver was going extra careful. Raine didn't know him, but she could find out who he was had she so desired.

She wasn't normally one to miss things such as details and no matter how distracted she was by the problem of the Motshuria girls in her house and the need to get them out and fast she didn't miss the frequent glances the man made at her in the rear-view mirror, as though he were trying to remember where he had seen her before.

Finally after six long minutes of trying to ignore his glances, she snapped and it was not pretty. A dragon ripping apart a man and slurping up his intestines like spaghetti would have been a nicer sight.

"If you have something to say, say it!" Her dark chocolate eyes never looked away from the scenery passing by outside but she knew she want to glare at him. There had never been a time she had wanted to glare at a man more, or perhaps seek the D.V. dogs on him and let them do their own form of glaring!

She imagined the man dead; shoved in the trunk of his taxi with his head and body two separate entities and then felt sickened at her self for even thinking to retrieve the D.V. dogs. They were killers in the Decoloratio Venalicium; what was she thinking?

The man, however, made her more annoyed than before by saying, "I'm jus' tryin' to...er...recall wh're I seen yah b'fore." He said in his atrocious accent. Raine narrowed her eyes at the supposed accent.

If she had been stupid she might have missed the fact that the normal taxi driver never talked like a brainless thug from the Decoloratio Venalicium; she had always complimented the driver on his educated speech and she knew very well that he had continued onto college after graduation and only drove the taxi to earn a few extra dollars here and there.

As he stopped in front of the college, she pursed her lips and opened the door. Stepping one foot out of the vehicle, she threw a look at him and said, "Whatever! I don't have time for this. You drive me to the college every day so of course that would be where you saw me!"

She stepped out into the bitter winter air and pulled her backpack out after her, sending a warning glare at the man before slamming the door shut.

Her mind was whirring as she opened the main door, entering the college as the man drove off. Whoever that was, it certainly was not the normal driver. She knew from experience that androids could easily take on the form of a living human.

She had created several of her own that were doubles of Rin and herself. But then the question that needed asking was: Is he a double?

If the Mayor would go to the lengths of hiring men to kill her granddaughters, then certainly she would have no qualms of hiring the ones to kill those protecting her granddaughters. As if it wasn't painfully obvious that the two were in the Legume house.

Raine slid into the cluttered classroom, slightly late though with three hundred students, her entrance went fairly unnoticed. Why would anyone want to notice her? She kept herself out for many obvious reasons.

She didn't like the attention, but her mind then went to observe the details of how being out of the attention could be dangerous. She could be easily purged from the world and no one would notice. She needed to make an impression on someone somewhere. The thought came quickly and stung as much as getting slapped in the face by an extremely large swordfish stung.

"—and the battle of Shishuni hill waged. The monks in their varying ranks, though outnumbered ten to one by the attacking demons and faced with impending doom, won the battle, though they sustained the worst possible damage.

"There remains only one line of the Shishuni blood in the world; there are no hidden remains and no women have been born to it for centuries.

"A demon on his deathbed cursed the Shishuni monks and most died of this curse. It is an irrevocable curse. After that, the monks remaining chose to live their lives out in—"

Raine listened to the teacher drone on about the history of the 100-year war, but she couldn't concentrate on the words completely. Her mind was split between how screwed up her life and the lives of those who depended on her were, and the class.

Her hands were, as usual, writing the words he said with considerable speed but she wasn't taking in anything that she was writing. She would no doubt be very confused later on when she tried to study the notes, having no clue what the heck they meant because she hadn't listened to him speak but at the moment that seemed trivial.

When class was over, she was embarrassed to find that her trained hand had written down several unrelated things that neither needed to be in her notes or pertained to her notes whatsoever.

According to what she'd written down, a girl named Teesh had broken up with her boyfriend so the guy was free for the taking; the bathroom on the third floor of the West Dorms exploded and there was like like like like way so much water and the plumbers had to actually swim under all the water to get to the toilet to fix it but no water had gotten into the hallway when the plumbers opened the door (which was illogical to Raine and she couldn't understand why the had to say "like" four times); and the holographic model on Cybernetic Evolution and Artificial Resourcefulness in Tangibility won the Gold Cup First in the Annual Technology Fair.

Raine sat up abruptly when she read that and she had to re-read it twice before she could convince herself that her hand was a liar and it had heard wrong. Of course to her it wouldn't seem plausible that she, yes she, had won the Gold Cup First in the Annual Technology Fair.

She had never won any awards in anything else for what she had submitted so why would she have won after so many years of trying? There were tons of people smarter than her! Of course, this year had been so much more productive than any other year, as the years did tend to be as you grew.

Sparing an excited glance around, she found she couldn't contain a nervous giggle though there was no one in the large angled classroom except the many rows of desks, the wipe-board down in the front, and the many garbage wrappers from littering students.

Up in the rafters there were a few birds who had chosen to make the classroom a home during the winter—being natural garbage disposals for the fallen food on the floors were their permits to live indoors—but Raine wouldn't be able to talk to them and ask them if what she had written was true and even if she did want to make a fool of herself, it wasn't like they would answer!

After jamming her things haphazardly into her book bag, she hastened to exit the room and up the nearest stairs to the second floor, skipping as many steps at a time as her skirt would permit. As was usual during the month of February—the month of the final scoring of projects—people littered the second floor which usually remained empty of people otherwise.

People came from miles around and from every Province to view the projects. The best that Raine had ever gotten in the Fair was a bronze ribbon. But if her lying hand was telling the truth, she had entered an entire new level of life—the high life.

Her heart started beating as she walked through the halls, heading towards the room that housed the category she had entered under. "Cybernetic Evolution" was pasted to the door and she nervously reached for the handle.

Not only had she never gotten so much as a red ribbon second before but there was also no history of the Gold Cup First being in the Cybernetic Evolution department.

"Congratulations." The voice startled her when it was whispered in her ear and she could have sworn she jumped twenty feet into the air out of fright.

Then there was laughter and she finally registered whose voice it had been. She whirled about to glare at Relic—or she would have done so if her backpack had not got caught on another student's backpack string.

The effect, though she would find it humorous later on in life, was rather drastically embarrassing for the six parties involved at the time. The boy whose backpack she had caught on to toppled into her, and she toppled into Relic; Relic, in turn, toppled into two other people, who both fell on the sixth party (though Raine was sure that was intentional).

The term "monkey pile", normally used only between playful siblings, was being graciously tested out and Raine felt if any more heat flew to her face she would be able to easily warm the house of a family of twenty.

When the six were finally disentangled from each other, she found it much easier to repress the memory of where exactly her face had landed and the reason for her flaming cheeks. Relic was laughing and using her for support.

"Honestly, Relic, I have never in my life seen a twenty three year old act as you often do! My gosh!" Raine complained, though didn't stop him from taking her hand in his. She liked the warm feeling she always got in her gut when he played out his game of romances.

She could easily play with a man's heart and knew from experience how easy it was to destroy a man's confidence in his self, but Relic was something special.

Her face flamed even more when she felt his lips brush her cheek, right in front of everyone else, and she could tell several females nearby were pursing their lips with what looked to be something akin to jealousy.

Relic was one of the "hotties" to the majority of the feminine population, not just females in other words but both genders. Raine wouldn't disagree that there were indeed men who were more feminine than their women counterparts.

She had seen them herself and actually preferred feminine males to feminine females because they tended to be far more realistic on what the word beautiful meant, not overdoing the makeup so they looked like clowns in a circus.

"I know," he admitted, lacing his fingers with hers. "You often tell me that. But for every ounce of formality that is you, I'm your lucid counterpart. So what's up? Why are you so jumpy today?"

He pulled her off to the side so that people could enter the room and she found she wanted to run from him and to the room to find out whether or not her hand was a liar. The wait was only proving that she could become more anxious than before.

"I heard that the...um...model on," she stammered, trying to find her voice and her thoughts. It wasn't working. In between every word she found that she was thinking "Gold Cup First" and she certainly didn't enter the Gold Cup First as her project! That would be ludicrous! So then if she didn't enter the Gold Cup First, what had she entered? She'd be damned if she could recall.

He laughed and let go of her hand to favor putting his arm around her tiny shoulders, leading her into the room. Out of the eight entries on the tables, she found that the press had congregated to the seventh table upon which sat her holographic model and next to it was a small statue of a gold computer with the screen on the monitor made out of silver on a desk made completely out of gold.

She gasped when she got close enough to see that it was her information inscribed on the computer's silver monitor screen.

**Gold Cup First **

**Rewarded to **

**Raine L. Okuna for the **

**Holographic Model on **

**Artificial Resourcefulness **

**in Tangibility in **

**Cybernetic Evolution **

It was tiny print, but that was her name and her information. Suddenly the world seemed to lighten around her. She could easily take care of the Motshuria girls if she could go from a bronze ribbon all the way to the Gold Cup First.

She hardly registered the questions that the press was asking her, though she knew that somehow she had answered them all.

After they had all left, her energy to wait had left her and she darted forward towards the pyramid that looked much like pyramids of ancient Egypt. She pulled open the side panel and started the holographic sequence, watching the beam of green holographic light shoot out of the top.

There was the image she had recorded weeks before and it developed itself, showing precisely how A.R.T. worked. She wouldn't have told anyone how to create it, because who would believe that a twenty year old could have made it?

Smart or not, no one would believe her and she would be thrown into a mental institution and then someone with more "credibility" would steal her knowledge for their own.

She did not want that and she already knew that soon she would be officially instated as a member of the Decoloratio Venalicium and she would have more ability to prove herself to the world than she ever thought possible.

She was so happy that she won she threw her arms around Relic's neck and kissed him soundly. She was delighted when he returned the special moment; embracing her waist with his arms to be sure she was as close as they could possibly be without being a single entity.

The holographic model's voice, which was the voice of Computer, Raine's computer, kept on speaking for a moment before it, like the rest of the world, decided to interrupt the beautiful moment.

"Miss Okuna, if I may speak freely?"

Raine paled at the sound of Computer and immediately felt the difference. Relic's arms had become slack on her waist and his head had swiveled to the model. Even if it was a model on A.R.T. he knew it was most certainly not supposed to be able to register who was or was not in the room.

Raine had thought that if she had just ignored Computer, the computer would get the hint and say no more; Raine could have chalked it off as fingerprinting in the key panel. She had no such luck, as the computer—which she was sure she was going to destroy!—continued to speak.

"Miss Okuna, I beg forgiveness most humbly," Raine wished she hadn't activated the model, because it was connected directly with the computer she had made at home and that computer had greater Artificial Intelligence than anything else, though reaching the home computer would be impossible from the model (which was another of Raine's ingenious creations, even if she did say so herself). "You are ignoring me, Miss Okuna?"

Relic had completely released Raine by then, his body turning to stare at the model, his jaw dropped so far that it was almost as though it would break if it went any further. "What the fu—"

Computer hadn't even given him a chance to finish his sentence before it spoke again and her tone was very demanding—yes, Raine considered Computer a female.

"I will excuse your brash language as a form of observation of your lack of intelligence, though for one to be allowed to touch Miss Okuna I should hope she chooses more wisely of a future prospective husband. She is very far out of your league as the saying goes."

This time it was Raine's turn to be shocked. Never before had Computer spoke further without permission from Raine or Rin and Raine was not sure how to gauge this new detail.

"Furthermore, you are a dilapidated American unworthy of Miss Okuna's attention and valuable time. I suggest you be on your way, you impertinent man-creature."

Raine could have sworn her face turned several undiscovered as of yet shades of red but she couldn't have been prouder of Computer. Her computer had exceeded all expectations that she had placed for it.

* * *

The recorder whirred ever so slightly as it recorded the conversation onto the tape. The spindle continuously spun in a clockwise motion and the tape on the spindle moved from the left to the right, the right spindle loading slowly while the left spindle emptied at the same rate.

There sat a man in his chair in a dark building, listening to the conversation as it was recorded. His smile was broad across his pale face and there were the definite markings on his face; two maroon colored lines crossed horizontally towards his nose across his cheekbones and a right facing—to the viewer—blue crescent-shaped marking hovered on his forehead, half-hidden by his striking silver bangs.

Some men called him a fool for not getting rid of his long silver hair, which hung precariously down to his knees, and perhaps he was a fool. This information, however, did not perturb his insistence on keeping the hair.

Soon, he would return to his throne. Soon he would not just be a prince. The half of a second that his sibling had on him, the half of a second which made him not the heir, would be rolled around.

"I've always been barren."

"Have you, Haru? Or was it your choice of wife?"

"No, I am the one unable to conceive. My brother, my twin, is the real father of all three of my children."

The listener smirked at those few words and continued listening with glee. Haru Nokugami had not been born with the mark of the heir in the first place, so it would not take a rocket scientist to figure that Haru was indeed not the father of his supposed sons and daughter. The very fact that his sons took after him, the listening man, was proof enough.

Inuyasha had the same ears as the listening man, though he hid them under a concealing spell. The ears could still be felt on top of Inuyasha's head if he chose to alert anyone to their existence; the ears that looked human on his head were fake, mere illusions. A hand trying to touch those ears would go right through and would instead feel the start of the puppy ears.

Sesshoumaru harbored the mark of the heir—the crescent shaped marking and the striped marks in various places on his body. It appeared he hid them and his pointed ears behind the concealing spell, but Yuri, sweet child, did not hide herself.

She instead chose to separate herself from Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha, rightfully angry at them for hiding what they truly were. She also had the mark of the heir which stunned the listening man.

Never before had two been born with the mark of the heir; but she was the first female born to the family in several centuries.

"You have a twin?"

"I do."

"How do you know you are not the father?"

"My second wife got pregnant a second time; my son, it appeared, was messing around with her heart. He got her pregnant and so I had her shot in the head with a shotgun. I made sure to make it look suicidal. I could not be wrong about this—though my son denies."

The listening man bit back an indignant scoff. Nekura, the woman who had done only one thing right in her life and that was to conceive Inuyasha, had been molesting her sons for years. Did Haru not know?

Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha would never have sexual relations with Nekura willingly, and the listening man knew that it was not either of his sons to get Nekura pregnant; because Nekura had sexual relations with many random men—in the very bed she shared with Haru.

"And how does this make it so you are infertile?"

"My first wife went running back to my brother and he got her pregnant. Do you get it now?"

"Yes, oh ho ho! I get it now. This is so much fun, Haru, I have a plan! Do you want to get back at your brother? Do you, hm?"

"I do. I do."

"Oh ho ho! Let us turn the children, my dear Haru! Your brother, oh ho ho, he would be mad?"

"He would. He tries to keep in contact with them, but I have so far managed to impede him from doing so. I fear I have not much time left alive, my health."

The listening man felt the frown cross his face. Something was going to happen to his children? What was going to happen to his children? He did not like the woman's voice. She sounded like a mad woman, but what was the plan?

"I shall contact you, Haru. It shall be, as we speak!"

The listening man turned away from the recorder and began writing down the contents of the recording. Finally, someone would get what was coming to them! Something would go right in his life. He wouldn't be second, and his children would learn the truth.

* * *

Kagome found a sigh building in her throat as she had Kagura help her into the beautiful gown, though she wasn't exactly one to appreciate the delicacy of the silk brushing her legs. She preferred the rougher material to something so feminine, but that was just her.

Kagura, also, mentioned how she probably wouldn't be caught dead wearing silk if she could have the rough feel of leather. But then again, it wasn't Kagome's wedding; it was her mother's and she would do anything to make her mother happy (though not without complaints!).

Kagome was, needless to say, very nervous. Kohaku looked cool and collected, talking with Sesshoumaru below the two females, wearing a tuxedo with a green tie to match Kagome's green and silver gown. Sammy was fixing Kagome's make-up for the long evening ahead. Kagome had been up since an ungodly hour of six preparing for the day.

"You look sexy." Kagura promised her with a smirk. Kagura was relaxed while Kagome was tense. She had a very bad feeling about the evening. Something was making her edgy and she wanted to know what it was. She didn't want to be nervous or jumpy or anything of the sort because it made her irritable.

Monday and Tuesday had been filled with running errands to make sure she could be in college again and showing Kagura the town, making sure that Kagura, Hiei, and Yusuke would have an apartment, and making sure that Kanna and Shuichi were comfortable and had what they wanted.

Kanna and Shuichi were still sleeping, lying together on a futon in Sammy's daughter's room on the floor and would continue to do so for an hour or so.

Nothing really interesting had happened on Monday and Tuesday except that Kohaku had been sleeping over, which was why Kanna and Shuichi were moved into Sammy's daughter's room.

Kagome and Kohaku hadn't done anything with each other, but it was nice to have the private space to be together. They still had only had intercourse once and it would probably remain that way for quite some time; Kagome intended to hold back on sex until she was married and Kohaku was quick to understand that.


	16. Sixteenth Chapter

Miroku paced. He placed one foot in front of the other, then the next, then the next crossing the room several times as he waited for his mother to exit the bathroom. Miroku was the reason his eight younger brothers were lined up in the kitchen, primped and prodded into at least half wakefulness and dressed in their finest outfits.

Unfortunately, the "finest" outfits consisted mostly of oversized dress-shirts and pants that were hand-me-downs from older siblings (mainly Miroku) and shabby tennis-shoes, but that was what happened when a person came from a poor family.

Miroku stopped in front of the youngest brother and glanced down his nose at him, taking in the youngest child's appearance. Miroku was glad he was not his brothers.

His mother had been so chalked up on pain killers when she had given birth to each and every one of the eight kids that they had been given names like food.

Chocolate, the youngest, wore a white tee-shirt and black pants too big for him. The tennis shoes he wore were falling off his feet because they were so big but he couldn't keep his hair flat on his head.

Miroku sighed and went to get a comb. Knocking politely on the bathroom door, he said, "Mother, can I get a comb?" A freckled hand reached out from the bathroom holding a comb which he took and made his way back to Chocolate; a whopping four feet.

"Stop touching your hair." He ordered, and Chocolate obeyed. The twenty two year old spat on the comb and tried to make sense of the tangled mop. He might have used water, if the apartment had any.

When the hair had some semblance of order, he stood again from his kneeling position and looked along the line of eight children with a speculative look.

It couldn't be helped that the children were ladled with bruises thanks to their mother's abusive drunk habits, but Miroku didn't exactly have a solution for their situation without them all getting separated. He cared for his little brothers even if he tried not to admit it.

"I have rules," he said, quietly so their mother would not hear. "Stick by me during the wedding ceremony. Mushroom, Sausage, Pepperoni, and Cheese, I want you to each pick one younger brother to stick with after that and keep an eye on."

He winced, recalling the singular middle name for each of the four older kids. Pizza was the middle name each of them had. He was glad his was at least normal: Miroku James Shishuni.

Well, he supposed it wasn't so bad to have Pizza for a middle name when they could have had something worse like IceCream. The set of younger children consisted of Chocolate, Fudge, Caramel, and MintChip; all of them harbored the middle name IceCream.

Miroku had just confused himself...he didn't know which was worse. To be called MintChip Icecream, or Pepperoni Pizza. Even worse were the contradictory personalities to their names. None of the children liked the particular thing that their name described.

And to top that off, Pizza and Icecream was basically all they could afford for dinner and desert every night but with the two jobs Miroku had been working, there was usually enough to get multi-mix Icecream and Pizza with every topping.

"Yes, Miroku." The eight children chanted and he blinked a few times, staring at them. Had he taught them that? Yes, he believed he had...when had that happened?

Scratching the back of his neck he looked at the eight children whose ages ranged from seven to fourteen. It would not be the nine Shishuni boys who made fools of themselves. Money or not, Shishuni was a noble name in history.

Chocolate, being the very youngest at age seven, couldn't keep his hands off his head and kept messing up his hair while trying to smooth it down. Miroku didn't bother trying to stop him. Chocolate was at least decent compared to their mother who had just come out of the bathroom dressed for a night out.

She wasn't going to celebrate the beautiful union between two people; she was going to get drunk off of the free alcohol. Miroku wouldn't deny his brothers some fun at the event, but knew that he would have to be on edge for his brothers' sakes.

It was hard, what he had to admit later that night. But he wanted to know if it was going to be alright and the person he would ask would know best.

* * *

"Put the shoes on, Kagome! Let's see how you look!" Kagura insisted and Kagome shook her head viciously. "Oh come on, Kagome!" Again, Kagome shook her head so hard that her hair threatened to come out of its elaborate 'do.

Kagome was not stupid; while she did grow up to believe wearing your shoes in the house would bring in evil spirits, she didn't hold heart to that quite as much since she'd worn her shoes for three years in and out of the temple in Snowsville. She wasn't going to put the shoes on and then walk down the stairs to get to the waiting limo.

That would have just been silly especially since she hadn't worn high heels for three years and even then she had hardly been perfect at it needing three weeks of practice in Yura's house before she was ready to be the slutty girlfriend of Sesshoumaru.

"Be reasonable, Kagura." Sammy stated simply. "Only in movies does the girl walk down stairs in high heels because it's a romantic scene in which the boy rushes to catch her and save her from potential harm." She plucked a loose hair from Kagome's dress and let it fall to the floor.

It was surprising that Sammy had actually come up the stairs to the loft with her fear of heights, but it proved she thought highly of Kagome and that made Kagome feel really good. Sammy was doing far better about the situation in which she had gotten raped.

While Kagome would have preferred it be something else that had brought Sammy closer to her in a friendship, the attack on Sammy had indeed brought something about. Kagome made a face at Sammy and Kagura as she looked at her appearance in the mirror. "I feel like..."

"A girl?" Kagura supplied and Sammy and Kagura began to laugh. "Go down then. Sammy and I will bring Shuichi and Kanna in a little while."

Kagome went down the stairs carefully, minding the dress so she didn't get it caught on the railing. It was one of the slowest stair descents that she'd ever had in her life and that included the time she slipped on ice going down the stairs at the Shrine and bounced down each and every step like a rag doll.

When she was finally on flat ground, she checked the dress for rips and was pleased to find none. A smile on her face, she looked towards Sesshoumaru and Kohaku and was pleased to find Kohaku wasn't the only one of the two with DJS, or in strung out terms, Dropped Jaw Syndrome.

"Kagome...You look...good." Kohaku finished in a breathy voice, his eyes wide as he drank in her form. She felt a blush stain her cheeks under his chocolate brown stare and self-consciously her hands went to smooth the skirt of the dress.

The dress was modest and had a long sleeved jacket but she had wondered if the v-neck showed perhaps a bit too much cleavage and the open back just a bit too much skin. The jacket would cover that cleavage and open back while she wore it, but she wouldn't wear it all night.

None of that mattered once Kohaku had approved though. The silver of the dress and jacket brought out the stark raven color of her hair and reminded her of the moon. Its strong light never wavered during the night even if she couldn't see it. It was there still and she knew it was, even during the night of the new moon.

"Um...thanks."

Sesshoumaru chuckled at the two. "You're going to be late for your magic carriage." He said when the two couldn't seem to part their locked eyes. Kohaku and Kagome seemed like such a perfect couple that Sesshoumaru wondered why he had ever bothered to wish that he could steal Kagome away from Kohaku.

The very idea was preposterous! But Kagome did look very good in her dress and he couldn't help but see how much of a woman the young girl he used to crush on had grown into before he had realized it.

A few weeks earlier and he would have laughed at the idea of Kagome ever being more than a girl he had crushed on at one very long point in his life, but now she was so much more than that and he found he actually hoped she ended up with a man who would treat her right and give her what was due to her.

She was a special woman and he could see that now. Strangely enough, he wanted once more to be that man, but he pushed that away instantly. Would he ever truly get over her? What sort of spell did she work on his heart?

"Kagome, your shoes." Kagura called from above, looking down on the scene. Sammy was sitting on the steps and inching her way down to the floor step by step, the shoebox in her lap, her eyes squeezed shut as tight as she could make them.

Kagome took the box from Sammy and thanked the two of them when there was a knock on the door. She answered it to find Yusuke, Hiei, Sango, and Souta there waiting for her.

"Kagome, wait." Kohaku said, digging in his jacket pocket for something. Just as he had pulled out a little black velvet box, Kagome had bent down to lace on the high heels. "I have to ask you—"

"Ask me later." Kagome said, looking at the clock on the wall. She didn't see the box or his disheartened look as he replaced it in his jacket, but Sesshoumaru saw this.

Was Kohaku going to propose? It seemed likely, but why on the day of his father's wedding? Didn't that seem a little cliché? It seemed like asking to share the joy of another wedding unbidden. But Kohaku was a good man even if he was rather clumsy and he would treat Kagome right.

Souta, Sango, Hiei, and Yusuke were all complimenting Kagome on how she looked and she was returning the favor for Sango. Sesshoumaru knew things had gotten back to normal; the world was back to its old self where he was ignored in Kagome's eyes and she left to go to the wedding with Kohaku's arm around her waist for support as she walked unsteadily on her high heeled feet.

"Back to normal?" he muttered. "And I actually care..?"

"Did you say something, Sesshoumaru?" Sammy asked as she closed the door. Yusuke and Hiei were up in the loft talking to Kagura in whispers and from the sounds coming from Tea's room Shuichi and Kanna were waking up.

"No," Sesshoumaru shook his head. "Just thinking." So if Sesshoumaru felt like he wanted to be the man to treat Kagome right, why the heck was he dating Sammy?

* * *

The first thing Shuichi saw when he woke up was the close up of the beautiful well taken care of platinum blond hair that belonged to Kanna and he felt a blush creep to his face.

Kanna had curled up next to him in the futon—literally curled up next to him. One of her legs was between his two, and one of her ghostly hands was across his chest.

He was so embarrassed he shoved her off of him rather rudely. She jerked awake looking confused. She obviously didn't realize that she had been laying on him. Did that make it worse, or better? Either way he had to explain some reason as to why he had just shoved her across the futon!

* * *

Curinrin Legume gave her tight bun a pat as she sat in the chair of the brightly lit room. Her thoughts wandered to why James would call her so often for their meetings. What was going through James' head?

She stood after ten minutes of waiting and paced over to the window of the high building, looking down at the street. The building looked like a lawyer firm and while lawyers did work on the first floor, that was not the true intent of the building.

The Decoloratio Venalicium, also known as the D.V., was a wide-spread operation throughout the entirety of Japan and had a headquarters in nearly every important city, Sunset being one of the important cities all thanks to Sunset's Shrink. Curinrin was not ignorant to the D.V. and had in fact grown up to it.

She was very good at lying, stealing, computers...but she was getting older in age and couldn't do everything she used to. Her daughter, Raine, was far more observant than she had thought originally and was beginning to get suspicious of her.

With her upcoming fifty-seventh birthday and the fact that she was married to a cop (of sorts) she wanted to be able to relax. James was putting her on edge once more. She couldn't tell if she hated him for that, or liked him as much as she liked a cockroach in her spot-free kitchen. She hated cockroaches with a vengeance.

"James..." she snarled, seeing his reflection in the window. The tall, wiry man who called himself her younger step-brother was smirking at her. With the wedding only an hour away, no one would know they were meeting yet again in the office.

Everyone in the town was watching the wedding take place in the Shrine from any vantage point that they could. The Shrine would be packed with thousands of people left and right, up and down, backward and forward.

"Yes," he said, his black eyes darting to each corner of the room as though checking the shadows made by the lack of light. No one would be there of course, but it was habit—one which Curinrin knew all too well. The bald man walked closer to her and she took a step back, bumping into the window ledge.

His chuckle was low and humored, his eyes never left hers. Of course, she was afraid; she would be mad not to be. James Hiatz was a simple but feared name in the Decoloratio Venalicium.

"I have a family, James." She snapped, trying to regain control of her emotions. It was impossible not to have emotions at all, but to show her fear was going to soon lead to her death. "My daughter is getting suspicious of my disappearances, and my husband is bound to notice the lacking in my cooking! Why must you drag me away from my home life? I am too old for this!"

He laughed outright at her. "You know as well as I, there is no retirement. If one calls another, they must answer the beckoning." His lean figure towered over her stocky small one and yet still she defied him by looking in his eyes. She did not see the eyes of the kind history teacher, but instead saw the truth behind the man's mask.

She saw the hardened killer for who he really was. The 'suicides' that he caused, the unexplained deaths; it was him who had done it all and he had done it loyally.

She had heard he had been employed again after sixteen years without missions but who the mark was, she had yet to know. After days of meeting with James, Curinrin had yet to talk about the mission with him and it was making her even more agitated because she knew he wanted to speak of it. "And if I ignore you? Because I will if you call me one more—"

James cut her off mid-sentence, smiling down at her, his pearly whites showing off brightly. He was intimidating her, forcing her to lean closer to the window. She wanted to know of her grandbabies before she died and being rebellious might not be the right way to do that, she realized.

If her father had not been second to the current leader in the underground, she might have had more of a chance of a normal life.

"The window..." James smirked and she heard the sound of the window straining under the pressure. James' voice was heavy with the accent of years learning many languages and not being quite sure which accent to take as his own. "Jon Eccard, do you recall that name?"

She nodded and he continued, "I believe he fell out of a window. So did Melanie Tobilik, Serena Franz, Yerome Warb, and Raoul Bernard. Those are only a few that I can recall off the top of my head."

She felt her face get hot as the blood rushed to it and she knew he was lying. He could recall every name, face, and profile of every single man and woman he had killed. She could see it in his eyes.

Age was getting her head fuzzy; age and a lack of continued exposure to the D.V. There had been one point in her life when she would never have shaken in fear from a death threat but that time was long gone.

She pulled herself instinctively a few centimeters away from the groaning window and found she was so close to him that her nose was just inches from touching the tall man's chest.

"You're afraid, Curinrin? Where is the fighter you once were? There had been a time you would never have—oh, what's this?" She felt a brush against the tops of her breasts and gasped indignantly, her arms instinctively moving to cover the offended body parts, and then she felt a tug on her neck and heard a snap.

Seconds later, he had moved away from her and was leaning against the desk, a small gold locket in his hands, the broken chain dangling towards the ground as he opened it and looked inside. He saw two girls inside, both identical to the other except for their hair styles. "Ahh, Rin and Raine Okuna. Yes, I know of Rin, but tell me about Raine. She is not in high school?"

Curinrin gulped and looked determinedly at the carpet. "Raine is in college, James. Why must you frighten me so? You know I fear you, anyone in their right mind would if they knew who you really were!"

"No, Curinrin." Again, he shook slightly from laughter. "Not everyone fears me—you're an exception to the rule because I dislike your kind. Marrying into the police was the most forward mistake you could have made. Should he find out, do you not realize what potential danger you put us all in?" She heard him clucking his tongue on his teeth.

"I know the danger! Father knows, and so does Master Nokugami! The arrangement was made by father, and I only grew to love him!"

He continued as though she had not just shrieked at him at the top of her lungs, unheard by the rest of the town because of the lack of people within hearing range to hear. "You also don't seem to realize the potential danger that I could be to you. I could easily destroy you, more than just by taking your life. For instance, Rin... such a pretty girl, is she not?"

Curinrin gulped and nodded her agreement though she didn't like the way the odds were against her. "Yes...she's very pretty..."

"A girl's heart, whether artificial or organic," he knew about Rin being a Cyborg, he had done his research on the young child, "is easy to toy with. I know the perfect boy who would easily be able to crush Rin's heart and confidence, leaving her an empty shell to live the rest of her days in an institute."

He would not do that, of course. He liked Rin, and her charming wit never ceased to amuse him, but he wouldn't tell Curinrin that. "And Raine, poor girl, following the dangerous treads of her mother and falling for a dangerous Seed. I know quite a few delightful rapists, including the taxi-driver who I have watching her. They want to play, and with the snap of my fingers, a ring of my cell phone, she's left in a gutter."

"You wouldn't!"

"I would... but I won't if you do something for me. Someone must die today, but it needn't be Sunset's Shrink. Madison Saeko wants Mrs. Onigumo dead, but I happen to have my own reasons to keep the woman alive. I have found a suitable replacement, but I need the woman brought to Mrs. Onigumo during the reception to take the bullet for her. At seven fifty-eight PM, Atlanta Shishuni must be brought there. Do you understand?"

Curinrin nodded and watched him pocket her locket. He would keep it because he knew the loss would remind her of her duties. "Don't forget, or you will be the one taking the bullet, whether I have to bring it to you, or not."

He pulled an envelope out of his pocket and handed it to her, his long fingers brushing hers. Seemingly out of nowhere, she felt a sharp pain in her upper arm. A horizontal slash rested there and his other hand was holding a small knife.

"A little extra incentive, dear sister. I will personally do such to your husband's throat if you fail, and I'll make you watch. And then, I'll give you the bullet, personalized with your name on it so they can I.D. the body."

He was as quickly gone as he had come and she wondered at how silent he moved. She had never heard a single noise from him except when he wanted her to.

She rushed as quickly as she could to the wedding, trying to stop the bleeding from the deep gash in her arm. Tears from fear and pain rushed down her cheeks and she wondered if she was the only sane person in her family.

Several people around her could smell the blood she was trying to stop, but she could do nothing for it. She pushed her way through the thousands of people, trying to find her daughters and husband. Blood dripped down her arm into the snow on the Shrine steps but she could do nothing for it.

When finally she had pushed far enough to the front to witness the scene, she stopped in her tracks and admired the simplicity of the wedding and the beauty of it.

The God tree was like a halo of icy beauty and underneath it in a small clearing surrounded by people were Kali and Mich, their two children on either side of them, the monk behind them. They were holding hands and speaking to each other.

"I swear to be happy with you, to love you unconditionally, to share my secrets with you as well as my not-so secrets. I will always honor your decisions, and yours will be just as important as my own. My love for you will remain unwavering, as will my trust in you. My devotion will be your passion; my tolerance will be your intelligence; my ingenuity will be your communication. I will not blame you, I will not harm you, and I will not ignore you. You will be my heart, my soul, my present, and my future."

It was so romantic as they said the words together in unison that Curinrin almost forgot about her arm entirely.

* * *

Kali's wedding was stunted with the death of Naraku. Whether or not he had been her true lover, he had still been her friend and she respected him. It was unfair that any disease could take him away when he was only in his forties. He had been young, too young to die.

Kali was smiling on the outside, but it was just a performance. She was not as happy as she could have been, knowing that the man who had promised to walk her down the isle had died only days before he could see his children and her again.

She wanted to know so bad if he was happy when he died or if he had been in pain. She would feel so guilty if he had been in pain because she couldn't please him enough and he had felt he needed to get his kicks elsewhere.

Mich wasn't the man that Naraku had been, dark and mysterious, but he had a kind light to him and as a stable woman she had to keep from being too wild and adventurous.

As she spoke her vow, in unison with Mich, she allowed a single tear to course her cheek. It was the first she had shed in a long time, since the kidnapping where she had thought her children had been lost to her and she had failed them. It was not a tear of happiness, but a tear of remorse for the things she had lost.

Naraku had been a good man and she hoped he had gotten peace in his final moments. It was important to her that he had not felt guilty for the pains he had put her through. He had been her strength, her will to continue going. Both he and her children had been her strength, and she hoped he knew this.

* * *

Kagome had plastered a smile on her face as she stood out in the cold in a silk dress that did nothing to ward away the harsh winds. She shivered and knew her lips would have been as blue as her eyes had they not been so loaded with bright red lipstick.

She did not share in the joy that she was positive her mother felt. How could she? It had originally been that Naraku would walk Kali up the 'isle', or more accurately he would wheel his wheel chair up to the God tree while holding Kali's hand.

Unfortunately, the Grim Reaper had decided to mock Kali and take Naraku over fifty years too early.

Kagome clenched the bouquet of flowers tight in her fist and took a deep breath. Who would have thought thirty five years ago that Kali would be marrying the boy who had been her neighbor and who she would play with as a child?

But Kagome found she didn't care about any of that. She just wanted to block Naraku from her mind at the moment and enjoy her life. That only served to make her feel guilty. She didn't want to forget Naraku; she just wanted the pain at his memory to stop.

The maid had been so cruel about how she broke the news that every time the words echoed in Kagome's mind, she just wanted to break into sobs.

"Well, at least I saw him leave in a body bag."

Kagome closed her eyes, forcing the tears back. She took a deep breath and let it out. She would not be the one to ruin Kali's special day! It was her mother's day to be happy!

But why, why did Naraku have to leave Kagome? He had always kept his promises and he had promised that he would not leave her just like that. He had said he would always say goodbye.

It was your own fault he couldn't say goodbye. You should have gone to visit him. He was a paraplegic and you knew this. Mobility was not as easy for him as it was for you!

The snide voice in her head was right and its words made it even harder to keep from crying. She didn't hear the vow being exchanged in unison. She was locked inside her mind, fighting with herself.

When she opened her eyes again, the wedding seemed to be over and she found herself staring at an ethereal version of herself. Something was off about her and she just couldn't figure out what it was.

She recalled seeing this same girl in Raspuit, the first time she had gone there with Kagura and Hiei. She had seen the girl when they had stopped temporarily because of the lights being red.

As soon as she blinked, the girl was gone. She looked every which way for her, but she was just gone and didn't seem that she would be coming back. Disappointed, she shivered and looked at the dispersing crowd of Sunset civilians.

She had no idea that her mother was as famous as having the entire day called off for the sake of a wedding, but apparently there was at least one person in every family in Kali's care and they all wanted to honor her with their presence. It was touching to see.

Kagome watched Kohaku walk over and offer his arm to her, taking it with a smile. "Thy beauty enthralls this poor man's eyes. Such charms as rumors do thee hardly any justice."

Kagome gave him a half-smile. Had he seen her sadness? Was it that apparent that he wanted to cheer her up with aged speech? She didn't know, nor did she try to understand. She was grateful for the excuse to get away from the thoughts of mysterious hallucinations and dead fathers.

"Be careful what you say, Kohaku. You might make her feel important." Sango joked, tossing an arm over Kagome's shoulders, keeping her from taking Kohaku's proffered arm.

"You know, someone might think you're actually a girl if you stay in that dress." Souta said, walking over and grinning at Sango. "Now, now, Sango. I thought you were here with me!" He faked a sob. "I thought you loved me!" He drug out the word loved and threw in a few sobs of hysterics between the words.

Sango snorted heavily out of her nose and said, "Yeah well, too damn bad. Kagome's really my lover. We've been having an affair." It was just the way she said it, so matter-of-fact, that made Kagome burst into laughter.

This was what she had been missing; the teasing, the taunting, and the all-around good time that she had with her friends, who were now her brother and sister.

"Thy hateful words scorn this poor man!" Kohaku sniffled. "And ye give no word to thy lover?"

"Nope." Sango said before Kagome could say a word, or even stop laughing. "That's what an affair is, dear brother. It's a secret relationship, usually kept away from the third party. Besides, you're an idiot anyway. Kagome could do way better. Like Sesshoumaru for instance!"

It was at this point that Kohaku became silent and thoughtful. The courtyard was empty. Everyone had gone with the bride and groom to the city hall or else went back home or to work depending on where they needed to be. Unlike the wedding, not quite everyone was invited though there still was a good deal of invited guests. Only a few birds littered the place here and there, pecking at the ground hopefully.

Kagome made a face, though she felt her heart racing at the thought of being with Sesshoumaru and his avalanche kisses. The majority of her felt completely repulsed at the idea but there was this tiny part in her that told her she did like him at least a little.

"Sesshoumaru's got nothin' on Kohaku." Kagome said. "For one, Sesshoumaru is taller than me by six or seven inches and Kohaku's just right." She kissed Kohaku's cheek and he brightened up.

His hand went to his pocket and began fiddling with something there as they walked toward the Shrine steps, to walk down them to get into the waiting limo. Kagome and Sango stumbled every so often, more used to the feel of flat tennis shoes not lace up stilettos with skinny heels. "Kagome, stop making him feel important. He might trip." Sango said knowingly.

To emphasize that, just as they reached the top of the Shrine stairs something happened and it made Kagome's eyes widen and a horror stricken look crossed her face. Kohaku, who had been dubbed Trip so long ago because of his lack of grace, slipped on a spot of ice and went tumbling down each and every stair.

"Kohaku! Oh heavens, Kohaku!" Kagome called when he didn't move at the bottom of the stairs. He was in quite the awkward position, with his feet over his head in a backwards arch, his face smashed into the ground.

When Kohaku stood, it was with slow and mechanical movements. Kagome, Sango, and Souta stood at the top of the stairs with wide eyes, each of them wondering how Kohaku's head could possibly be so thick that a trip down over one thousand steps would not harm him.

Of course, Kagome had gone tumbling down those same stairs when she was younger and had not been affected much more than a few scrapes and bruises. It was, at least, not as dangerous a fall as falling off the wall surrounding the shrine was.

"I'm okay!" he called up. "Just a bit dizzy." The proof was that he was staggering back and forth, holding his head. He looked drunk, Kagome thought, but he hadn't had anything to drink.

After the three had descended the stairs to join Kohaku at the bottom, they surveyed the tottering man. His state could have been worse at least. He had a scrape on his forehead and his clothes were a little torn but other than that nothing looked very doctor-worthy.

"Geez, you look horrible." Souta told Kohaku.

"Yeah well, you're no beauty queen yourself, buster!" Kohaku snapped and leaned on Souta's arm. "I feel like I've been hit with a can opener several times, with the can attached."

Kagome began smoothing the fabric on him, dusting it off with her hands. "You don't look like you feel, if that makes you feel better. You're still the same handsome man I love."

Kohaku seemed to stand a little straighter and his hand went to his pocket but just at that moment Kagome heard her name being shouted out. She looked to see who was calling her and saw Miroku, dressed in his finest dress shirt and pants with his jacket on hurrying over to them. When he reached them, he bent double and his breath was wheezing. "I was hoping to catch up to you guys." He huffed.

"Hey, Miroku, what's up?" Kagome asked the panicked twenty-three year old. He looked dangerously pale even for the cold weather like he had just witnessed a cold blooded murder, and Kagome knew what people looked like after they just witnessed a cold blooded murder too.

It was impossible to forget the look of the child in Tokyo who she, Kagura, Hiei, and Yusuke had helped the police take care of and keep alive after the child had witnessed a murder. She wondered if that young girl still had nightmares about the event, which was possible—it had only been a few months since it had happened.

"My mom just took off with my brothers, so I was wondering if I could hitch a ride with you guys?" He ran a hand through his disheveled hair and found the hair tie was missing so it was no longer in the usual dragon's tail at the nape of his neck.

Instead it flowed freely around his head whipping about in the wind and gave him a more rugged look. Kagome noticed that same had still worn the purple sleeve and the rosary around his wrist and hand. She wondered if he ever took it off, because she could not recall a single time seeing him without it.

"Dude, why ask?" Souta scoffed. "You know you can. Besides, they got champagne in there! Come on, Kagome, let's go! Tonight, I'm gonna get you drunk."

"I've been drunk before, Souta. It's nothing great, really. It's overrated." Kagome promised him as she let him drag her to the waiting limousine. Once they had all clamored into the vehicle and the driver drove off, Souta looked in the ice freezer in the back for the supposed bottle of alcohol. He groaned and flipped sideways down on the seat, his head landing in Sango's lap.

"No champagne, no alcohol...no nothing!"

Kagome sighed and said, "I told you, being drunk is really overrated."

"Okay, tell me what your first drunk experience was like." Souta demanded and Kagome complied.

She smoothed the fabric of the skirt to the dress nervously before she did, not sure if she wanted to tell him the messy embarrassing time she'd had at her 'college graduation' party. Deciding that she didn't want to keep secrets from her oldest friends she sighed and began.

"Well, I graduated college about three months ago and Keiko Yukimura, a fellow graduate, had thrown this really big party at her parents' mansion. I honestly had never met any two people more conservative than her parents. They didn't want to house the party but Keiko managed to get them to do so and Kagura and I were invited to the party. We of course had to bring dates, so I brought Yusuke and Kagura brought Hiei.

"Well, after the first eight drinks, I was beginning to get tipsy. And then after three more, I hopped into Keiko's pool and tried to drown myself. Yusuke and Kagura were really drunk and both were on couches with two different of my classmates, but Hiei dove in and pulled me back out of the water, cursing my idiocy the entire way." Kagome sighed.

"After that, Hiei drug me, Yusuke, and Kagura back to the temple and then the police came and busted the party up. But hey, I didn't make as much of a fool out of myself as Keiko did.

"She hopped up onto a table and began stripping and when she was naked, she screamed at her parents that they couldn't control her anymore, that she wasn't a little girl. Her parents had the police arrest her for causing a Domestic Disturbance and she spent three months in jail."

Instead of the chuckles she had expected, she got silence. The four of them were staring at her and she rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. Miroku only made the evening tenser by what he had said right after her story.

The silence created by Miroku's admittance of a very peculiar subject made Kagome wonder if the world was ending, if pigs were flying, if Jack's beanstalk had just grown a thousand feet tall, and if Goliath had just been felled by David a second time.

"You're what?" Kohaku had asked the question they were all thinking. It just didn't seem possible that Miroku was...that. After all, the man was a pervert! "Wait, please, correct me if I'm hearing this wrong. I thought I just heard you say you're—"

"I did!" Miroku said embarrassedly. "Guys, I know this is a shock and everything, but please don't hate me. I'm still me, I'll still grope and everything just...being er...that...I can't have kids. That's the only real difference! And I'm not even really there yet."

Kagome couldn't believe it. "How long have you been...that?" She didn't even want to say it. It seemed like a dirty smutty word to say when in terms of Miroku. He had always been a womanizer, constantly groping someone or other though never a guy, with a bruise on his face somewhere from groping a woman.

"Just about er...two years...But I have to say, it feels really good having that off my chest." He smiled meekly. "I'm seeing someone too, learning so much about them. They're really nice."

Kagome, Kohaku, Souta, and Sango just stared at their friend. It just seemed impossible for him to be..._that_. Who would have thought that Miroku would choose such a path in the end?

* * *

James carefully pulled on his gloves as he stood in the rafters of the building. He had to be careful in the process. Curinrin would do her duty he knew, and the job would be pulled off expertly; no one would know who was involved in the murder and the reason James had chosen Curinrin and Atlanta Shishuni was because the two had absolutely no relation to each other so Curinrin would not be pinned with the motive to kill.

Before Curinrin opened the envelope, she would not have even known what Atlanta looked like except perhaps at a rare glance at the supermarket.

They do say that weddings are the best place to meet another. He thought and looked at the locket he had snatched from Curinrin. Rin and Raine were smart indeed. They could stomach the sight of blood. He knew this because Raine and Rin had immediately set to work cleaning the cut on Curinrin's arm.

Curinrin had said it got caught on the stone entry way to the Shrine but it had appeared that her husband Harvey, simpleton he was, was the only one to believe it. The cut was far too deep to be an accident and the girls would question Curinrin later on about what really happened. She would be forced to tell, though he was positive she would not mention who it was.

James settled in the shadows to wait for seven fifty eight. At seven fifty nine, he would pull the trigger and Atlanta would be dead. The bullet would go through Atlanta and into the ground between Kali's legs because of the power of the bullet, but Kali would remain alive and the little girl would not be torn. Atlanta was also the perfect subject because the little girl would feel no loss for a woman who beat up her friend and his brothers.

Yes, James had worked out every angle of the replacement. Atlanta had apparently made his employer very upset in high school and so his employer would be glad to reap old debts. Things would work out, though he was making himself look slightly incompetent. But the little girl would remain happy, so he was happy.

* * *

The smirk on her face was irreplaceable as she climbed onto the banisters up above the City Hall's main floor. She could feel the adrenaline flowing through her veins as she walked across the platform directly above the stage.

Her cloth shoes made absolutely no sound against the metal drop-staging, but her small weight made the metal creak and groan. That noise went unnoticed as the band below was playing music and the sounds of the music made it impossible to hear the quiet noise.

Her odd white eyes made no difference in her movements across the platform. Being blind did not hinder her progress, as she used her nose, hands, and ears to move.

She found it strangely ridiculous that so many people thought of thieves and assassins to be people who wore combat boots, but that went completely against the code of stealth, as combat boots made an obvious clopping sound that cloth shoes did not.

She also found it ridiculous that people had thieves wear fashionable clothing such as baggy pants, as those types of clothes would make a swishing noise as they brushed against each other. She didn't have to be able to see in order to hear what other people's opinion on a "classy" thief was. It made her roll her eyes in exasperation more often than not, even though she could not see that she was rolling her eyes.

She made her way across the heavy beams after climbing off the drop-staging platform, following the scent of James Hiatz along the ceiling reinforcement bars.

Too many in the Decoloratio Venalicium, it seemed strange that a blind girl could do so much with such ease and grace that a person who could see could not hope to manage, but to her it was just reality.

She said nothing as she settled down next to James who she could tell was startled by her appearance by his sudden intake of breath. She did not know what James looked like personally, but she liked to guess what he looked like in her head. He looked pretty gorgeous in her mind's eye.

"Zephyr, why are you here?" He asked her, and she heard a nervous edge in his voice that no one else would be able to recognize. "This is no place for—"

She could feel her eyes rolling. She let her hand grope her surroundings until it hit his hand, then took his hand and slipped her fingers with his. "You judge me because I am blind? James that is the worst misconception you could ever make."

She kept her voice low and knew that up as high as they were, above the lights, no one would see them. The music would cover their movements and voices, but she still kept her voice practiced as usual.

James was shocked that she had so quickly located his hand. It was not the first time that he had been forced to wonder if she was really blind or if it was just a rouse. She had probably done it purely to prove a point: blind people were just as capable of doing things as people with sight, if not more so.

"If you slipped—"

Again, she cut him off, placing a gentle finger to his lips; her blind eyes seemed to stare right into his soul. James was in his forties and not used to being unnerved, but the young sixteen year old was quite able to throw him off his rocker with her uncanny ability to be so proficient at everything she set her mind to.

He wondered if anyone else other than her father knew of her distinct talents, setting him aside of course.

"That is why I won't slip. James, you're sweating." She deftly changed the subject, her finger tracing his upper lip collecting the small beads of sweat that had formed there. "Sweat would leave a trace."

"Sometimes, it might be better to get caught by the enemy." He muttered and not to his surprise did he hear the sweet melodious sound of her quiet chuckle. As high up as they were, the sounds of Kouga's band were not as loud. "You're here to watch me, aren't you?"

Again, she laughed at him. "In a manner of speaking; yes." He watched her shift herself into a more comfortable perch on the heavy iron reinforcement bar. "Of course, how much watching I really do is entirely up to you?" She giggled mischievously and leaned forward, careful not to fall from the great height, to press her lips to his, her intent clearer than window pane.

While James did feel rather uncomfortable with their current position, he had no choice in the matter. They were sitting on a re-bar well over eighty feet above any ground matter, which meant that pushing her away could result in some sort of disastrous outcome.

He was quite literally three times her age and though she was rather mature for someone of her age, she was still young and he got the distinct feeling that she knew not of what she truly wanted.

A bead of sweat made its way from his forehead down to his ear and dripped off his earlobe. James was no beginner at playing with a heart, but for all his experience, nothing could prepare him for her. She was far too good at what she did.

His cell phone began vibrating in his pocket, shaking against his thigh. Zephyr seemed to notice that and she reached deftly into his pants pocket and took the tiny flip phone out, pressing the connect button before placing it to her ear.

"Stop fooling around up there, Hiatz! I want it done now!" the voice on the other end of the line snarled. "Stop stalling!" Even James could hear her from the distance he was at and with his meager human senses.

"Oh, Mady, you silly girl." Zephyr giggled into the phone. "You know, I have the power to overrule you...taking into consideration just who my papa is. And I don't like that you're trying to kill her. So I convinced daddy around. I was waiting for you to call, just so I could tell you."

It was clear that Zephyr's condescending tone did not roll over well with the woman on the other side of the line. Her voice raised an octave and even from above, James and Zephyr could see that the people around the particular person who they knew was on the other end of the line were staring at her with varying expressions ranging from amused to confused. "Don't take that tone with me, young one. Oh ho ho! I think there is more than you realize..."

"Oh poor Mady... I think you should know that you're attracting attention." Zephyr hung up the phone and smirked at James who she could just sense was giving her a confused look. "No time to talk conversations, James." She told him. "Quickly, we must leave. She won't leave us alone you know."

James couldn't help but be amazed as he watched the blind girl make her way back towards the drop-staging. She never missed her footing once but he noticed that she crouched low, her hands ready so that should she fall, she could catch herself.

He wiped away the memory of her lips with his glove and quickly disassembled the sniper rifle, replacing it in the bag and made his way to the drop-staging as well.

There, he watched Zephyr climb a rope to a small ledge by a sun-window above that was partly open. Slinging the duffle bag over his back like a backpack, he began to climb the rope, rolling it up on his ankle as he went along. His muscles bunched and rippled beneath the clothes and he could feel them screaming in agony from the long climb.

He wouldn't ever complain about it, but he knew he was slightly out of shape. Zephyr was able to easily climb the thirty feet of rope with only the problem of slight shortness of breath and her muscles a bit numb at the end.

He knew this was a fact. The duffle bag had nothing to do with his exhaustion. At one point in his life, he would have been able to carry a person on his shoulders up this rope with no trouble.

That part of his life was over, he realized as they began to climb down the outside of the City Hall. After all, they couldn't exactly walk out the front door, not looking like they did and not with a bag of very suspicious ammunition. Wouldn't that seem a bit sketchy?

"I knew it couldn't be done. I knew that he would fail... Oh ho ho, at least you'll do your job, won't you? Make her...miserable..."

* * *

Medallion felt his heart burst with several thousand different emotions as he watched Kagome laugh and talk with her friends and family.

Kagome would periodically go dance with Kohaku if there was a particularly sweet song playing by Kouga's band, but more often than not she was standing beside Kohaku and her family and friends would make their way over her from time to time and chat with her on various things: the weather, her stay in Snowsville, her new adoptive children, her emotions about the wedding and whether or not Kohaku and Kagome would stay together because of it.

When asked about the stability of their relationship after the wedding of their parents, Kohaku and Kagome would just shrug and Medallion would see one of them say, "We'll see." That would be all they would say on the matter and then the subject would be dropped.

Medallion held the hand of a little boy with stubbly red hair who refused to leave his side. The boy was a demon and wasn't afraid to show it either. His cute little monkey-like tail twitched eagerly with excitement as he enjoyed the fun he was having at the reception. It was because of the boy that Medallion had yet to approach Kagome and give her what was rightfully hers, then fulfilling his vow to Naraku by doing so.

He felt bad for Kagome and wondered if she even yet knew of her father's death. Naraku had confided in him of all that Kagome had to endure growing up and that made Medallion completely awed at her strength to continue going despite the circumstances.

It also made him feel slight guilt at the memory of the hell he had put her through as well. It was during a stage in both of their lives when they were rebelling against the authorities and having out-of-chaperone fights.

He was always recruiting new members into the school-zone war, but she always stayed with the same numbers: herself, her brother, and her three friends.

No one else ever joined to his knowledge, and after she had left for Snowsville, there really was no longer a challenge against the Private school, so Medallion had left his little "gang", especially after Kohaku, Sango, Souta, and Miroku declared they no longer were going to bother helping out rich kids who were ungrateful for their help and did not even acknowledge their existence.

The only time to Medallion's knowledge that any of the four had joined a fight was when their newer friends—Rin, Yuri and Kikyou—had been attacked and cornered by bullies. Medallion had not been a part of that fight, having already denounced his "throne".

He looked down at the young boy tugging on his arm and watched him point eagerly to something. Upon following the line of the boy's vision, Medallion realized it was a buffet table filled with foods of every variety, though this particular table held mostly fruits in chilled containers.

Nodding to the boy who he still did not know the name of, Medallion watched him release his hand for the first time that evening and race towards the table.

Medallion kept a strict eye on him and began heading after him. He didn't want the boy to get lost. He saw Kagome break away from her small circle of current friends to stop the boy from digging his entire hand into the bowl of fruit salad.

It was at this sight that Medallion couldn't help a small smile from forming. She was a great woman. Unfortunately, as the boy was seemingly won't to do that evening, his charge shunned away from Kagome just as he had done for any females who had approached Medallion inquisitively, backing up against the table with a frightened look as he tried to wrest his hand free from her light grasp.

Kagome instead kept a light grasp on his hand until he found he was holding a plate, napkin, and silverware. Instead of a frightened look staying on his face, he seemed to realize that she wasn't there to harm him, only help him, and a smile upturned in a bright smile. When Medallion was close enough, he heard Kagome speaking to the boy and felt the usual stirrings of emotion tug inside him when he heard her voice.

"—want something to eat you really shouldn't dig your hand into the main bowl. It's not polite. Now what was it you wanted?" Her melodious voice seemed to only have gotten more beautiful over the years the longer he yearned to hear it yet could not.

She was the first woman that evening that the boy had smiled at and Medallion was forced to wonder if Kagome was enchanting the boy somehow but he shook that off as impossible.

While since his death he was seriously considering the truth about witches having magical power—after all, he had been a ghost, and stared down at his body, so it was logical to believe that he couldn't believe such things did not exist—he still did not think that Kagome herself was one of many such blasphemous creatures.

The mute and tongue-less boy pointed to the fruit salad and Kagome helped him scoop some food onto the plate, walking him to the nearest table to help him sit in a chair. Yuri and Kanna were sitting at the table, their heads half-hidden behind a laptop as they poured over something on the screen, silently debating it through writing on a writing sheet program.

As soon as the boy was settled, Kagome looked at Kanna and Yuri. "You two want to keep an eye on him and help him get food if he needs help? I'll go find his family."

"That won't be necessary." Medallion told Kagome, watching Kagome turn towards him with a startled look on her face. Slowly her beautiful—for he could only describe her as beautiful, godly—face smoothed and in place of the startled look, she was smirking.

"Medallion!" She exclaimed. "Long time no see." Her hands smoothed her gown distractedly and for a moment, he just stood there, staring at his old mutual enemy. When he saw Kohaku making his way over out of the corner of his eye, he just shook his head and gave her a smile.

Again, Kagome was struck by how handsome he was. She could never deny that he was a rather good looking man, but there was an undertone in his eyes depicting lust and hate at the same time when he looked at her and that threw off his good charm.

"Indeed. I have something for you, if you would mind... In a few days or so, stop by my dad's apartment?" Instead of demanding her to come by, he knew it would be best if he just asked. Kagome was never one to take orders from enemies and he knew this well.

She had taken several beatings from his gang because she had not done as asked, but that did not mean she had just lain down and allowed the thrashing; instead she had given them hell about it.

She looked at him for a long moment as though sizing him up before Kohaku slipped a hand around her waist. "What do you want, Medallion?" Kohaku asked his voice underlined with malice. To Kagome, it was quite clear that Kohaku had never gotten over Medallion's behavior during the kidnapping and in fact directly before it.

"My business is not with you, Ichiro." Medallion sneered. "It's with—"

Screaming filled the room then, blocking out what he might have said. As thousands of people hastily made their way towards the exit, the sounds of gunshots could be heard just barely over the din. "Get down!" Kagome shouted towards the people nearby. They ignored her, figuring her to be a stupid girl if she thought they would listen to them.

Kagome grabbed the boy from the chair and pushed him under the table. He looked very frightened. "Yuri, Kanna; get under the table and stay there!" She shouted over the screaming and then realized she didn't have to worry about them; they had already gotten under the table though they looked very frightened.

Medallion and Kohaku had knelt next to Kagome; both were looking around, trying to pinpoint where the shots had come from and who they had been aimed at. Kagome looked around and saw Shino nearby, crouched down next to a table trying to pinpoint the shooter.

"Dad!" Kohaku shouted just as Kagome noticed the bloodied man lying on the floor. Kali was kneeling beside Kohaku's father, a faint glow pulsing around her and the wounded man. She was trying to heal his wounds despite the fact that staying in the open was quite hazardous.

When Kohaku tried to run towards his father, Kagome grabbed his wrist. "Kohaku, wait here!" she yelled, but he didn't listen to her, dragging her grip away. He never made it halfway there. A gunshot rang through the air that was quickly becoming quiet as more and more people shoved out the exits, and Kohaku fell like a stone in water, his eyes wide in shock as his blood pooled around him.

Kagome was angrier than she had been years before when she and Souta had walked in on Naraku unleashing a terrible rage on Kali's body. The hair on her arms and neck prickled as goose bumps formed beneath them. She had a single thought racing through her head and that was "Kill, kill, kill..."

Her fist clenched and unclenched angrily. Someone had harmed her family, and they were going to pay dearly for doing so. A hand on her shoulder interrupted her angry reverie and forced her to peel her eyes away from Kohaku's limp form. He didn't look to be alive, but she could hope.

"Kagome, do you see the perpetrator?" Shino asked her. "Medallion, get under the table." Shino, of course, was off duty so didn't have his gun and neither did she. No one had expected anything would ruin the day.

Shino's voice brought her back to reality and she tried to think calm and collectively, but it was very difficult to do so. Kohaku was injured, possibly dead, and her mind was on one of her oldest friends at the moment. She surveyed the area, including up near the ceiling.

"There!" She said, pointing to the shadow above the stage. Her hands went to the dress she was wearing and she used her extremely sharp nails like knives and cut the bottom of it to above her knees so she had mobility in her legs.

Discarding the extra cloth, she made to move away from the partial shelter when Shino grabbed her arm. "Wait. He's moving!"

Where's he going? Kagome thought, watching the shadow dart along the beams. Her eyes followed his trajectory path and saw a rope leading up to a window. She couldn't let the shooter get to the window. She knew in her blood that if she let him get there, she would most likely never see them again. Whoever they were, they weren't stupid.

Kagome yanked the shoes off her feet and raced towards the wall below the window. She allowed her body to change as she ran, the ability of wall climbing inspired by a spider she'd seen earlier that day, quickly shimmying up the wall.

She knew she had to move quickly, because undoubtedly the shooter had noticed her. She was assured they had noticed her when a bullet pierced the wall just next to her and so forced her to quicken the pace even further.

Several gunshots missed her as she was climbing the wall and her vision began to fog with strange silver light. When she was nothing but a shadow to those below on the floor, she felt pure agony creep through her side. She knew she had been hit but couldn't stop if she wanted to. She might have escaped death a few months before, but she had been prepared then and this time she wasn't quite as prepared.

A daring glance around told her she was near the rope that led to the sun window which was slightly cracked above. The assassin was near there as well. She couldn't see his face, but she knew they had to be smirking as they aimed their laser sighted sniper rifle at her. She could feel the red light on her forehead.

Just as they pulled the trigger, she jumped down away from the wall. She could hear gasps below at her daring plight but it was nothing new to her. She had to do such moves in College at Wyman from greater heights than the one she was at.

She grasped onto a thin support bar and pulled herself quickly on top of it, straddling it and then standing before the shooter could so much as blink. She was not the greatest acrobat, but she knew that lives were counting on her and that made her feel more confident in herself.

Racing along the thin support bar, she looked for a way up to the bar he was on. She might have become something resembling a bird, but that would have slowed her down and made her an easy target for deadly bullets.

"Higurashi!" Kagome heard her name shouted from nearby and saw that Keiko, resplendent as always in whatever she chose to wear, was barefoot on the beams just a few feet away, straddling the beam with blood dripping from her side between the hands clutching it. She flaccidly held her gun in her hand, which looked more than broken. "Take my gun!"

Kagome heard the shooter's gun fire a last time before the resonating clicking sound was heard, saying that there was no more ammunition in the rifle. Keiko had been the target, and the bullet hit its mark. Keiko screamed as the bullet penetrated her thigh and her balance slipped. She was falling off the beam.

Kagome raced for Keiko, for no matter how much she did not like Keiko she knew the girl didn't deserve death. Keiko had risked her life coming after the shooter.

Kagome grabbed Keiko's broken arm and the girl screamed in pain as her muscles were torn by her own weight. "Please, don't let me die." She begged. "Don't let me fall."

"I'm not going to." Kagome promised wrapping her legs around the bar; the edges of the square re-bar digging into her thighs. She heard angry gasps as the man was getting away and no one was able to do anything about it. It was either let Keiko fall to her death and get the man, or save Keiko and go after the man.

"Drop her!" Kagome heard Kagura's voice over the angry shouts below. "I'll catch her!" Kagome looked down and saw the form of Kagura grabbing a paper plate from a table, throwing the contents away and waving the paper plate much like she did her fan.

Keiko screamed, "Ahhh! My arm!" The pain was obviously making Keiko fall in and out of consciousness. Tears coursed down the girl's face and reminded Kagome of the wound in her own side. A brief glance proved that it was nothing more than a small scratch.

"Keiko, I'm going to let Kagura take you." Keiko gasped and nodded as much as she could. Kagome took the gun from Keiko's hand, surprised that it had not fallen to the ground, and released the girl. She did not fall to her death, but instead floated to the ground as though she were on an invisible feather.

How or why Keiko had thought to bring her gun, Kagome didn't know, but she would be able to question the other girl later. At the moment, there was a man with an empty gun climbing out of the window.

Kagome stood on the bar and raced towards the wall, using the wall as a partial boost to jump up to the next bar up towards the window. She ignored the frightened sounds below and just as suddenly saw a sling of plants racing up the wall, vines mostly, born from the wood that created the floor of the City Hall.

She didn't know what made the vines burst up so suddenly, nor would she find out, but was grateful that the plants made a bridge for her straight to the window, as the assassin had taken his rope with him.

Once outside, she found herself on a flat roof. The perpetrator was racing towards the opposite end of the roof. Once he had gotten there, he vaulted across the gap towards the next building. Kagome's feet burned as she raced across the snow and ice covering the flat roof but the pain she ignored.

Her mind was on the creature currently running away from her, trying to escape her. From his movements, she was guessing he was getting tired.

She didn't waste her breath trying to yell at him to stop because she knew it would be fruitless to do so. She sprung across the gap between the City Hall and continued as fast as she could, feeling her feet being skinned upon her landing on the next roof. Three houses later, she caught up to them and she helped them topple to the ground. She snarled, pinning them face down.

They went limp in her grip and she noticed there was a distinct difference in height and girth of the one who had been shooting and the one whom she was pinning down. She chalked that off as a difference to the lighting. She did wonder where the gun had gone, but guessed he probably chucked it so he could run faster.

As the moonlight washed over the two figures on the roof, one began to use the other's rope and tie them up. Meanwhile, several roofs away, a shadowed person was climbing down the outside wall of the City Hall, an empty gun slung over their back.

* * *

In the middle of the screaming and turmoil, while everyone was distracted, the android LI XERA made its way towards a group of children huddling together under a table. These children varied in age and size.

Her mistress had not given her specifics in what age to take, so she simply coaxed one child to come with her, a young impressionable ten year old.

Chocolate huddled in a corner, hidden underneath several coats. He had no clue what was going on, or why people were screaming and racing around like chickens with their heads cut off, but he knew he was scared and he wanted his big brother Miroku to tell him that everything would be alright.

Unfortunately, his big brother had been busy trying to find his other brothers and had instead hidden Chocolate underneath the coats and told him to stay put. He was not stupid and knew that he needed to stay where Miroku had placed him or else his big brother would not be able to find him again.

When he saw Miroku coming towards his hiding place with a young frightened girl holding a teddy bear tight in her grasp, he felt like jumping out of the pile into his brother's arms but didn't do so when Miroku hid the girl next to him.

"Stay here, both of you. Everything's going to be alright." Miroku assured them, racing off to find other children in need.

As soon as Miroku had disappeared from their line of vision, the girl began to cry. "I'm so scared!" She sobbed.

Chocolate knew he had to do something to get the girl to stop crying or else hiding would be useless and they would be found so he just did what his big brother Miroku always did to get Sango to stop talking. He kissed the little girl, whether or not he knew her and held her hand.

"My big brother will save us!" He said quietly to assure the girl.

She gave him an angry stare and said, "Are you going to marry me?"

Unsure of what brought marriage into the conversation, though he did know what that meant, Chocolate gave her a confused look. "Do you want me to marry you?"

"Mommy says that when two people kiss, they have to get married! And you just kissed me!" The little girl never stopped glaring at him and he just shrugged.

Chocolate said, "Okay. My name is Chocolate Shishuni. Will you marry me?"

The little girl smiled brightly and gave him a hug. "My name is Tea Johnson, and I'll marry you!" What startled both of them was when the bear the girl had been holding so tightly began to move. It seemed to crawl out of the blankets and look at them, its little arm waving for them to follow. "Mister Bear wants us to follow him!"

Curious, the two children followed the strange walking bear, neither having seen a bear that could walk on its own before. The bear led them towards a back door, mostly unnoticed, and they walked outside. What they found waiting them there was a woman with a sack.

They cried, kicked, and screamed, trying to get away from the lady who carelessly threw them into the back of a van and tied them up beside several other children, all of which neither young child knew.

The two were frightened and would have said as much, had they not been forced to breathe in something that rendered them unconscious.

* * *

"The count of dead bodies found in the City Hall numbered in the twenties, sir." Relic said quietly, wondering if he should point out the significant similarities between those who were dead or chalk the facts off as mere coincidence.

His nerves were affray, but he had yet to know of his daughter's disappearance, or the fact that his ex-girlfriend had also disappeared in much the same fashion.

Called into work, he found himself faced with a new promotion signed to work directly under Shino Takai in the Odd Cases department. Shino had been likewise promoted that evening when it appeared the previous man, Kora Neko, had committed suicide, jumping off the roof of his apartment building to be run over by a semi in the street below.

"How quickly this case got to assignment was surprising, don't you think, Relic?" Shino questioned peering around his new office, which was distinctly larger than his previous one. The room was messy beyond belief making it impossible for the two to even see the four desks that were supposed to be situated in the room.

"Yes, sir." Relic muttered. He felt uncomfortable with his new promotion and with the knowledge that he was closer to the Mayor by being there, but Shino appeared not to notice or care either way.

"We need to clean this place up before we can star—" Relic clapped his hands together once and watched as the inborn magic began to flow out of his hands and make the disorganized room orderly. Papers began to file themselves, trash began to dispose itself, and the desks and floor began to appear. At the back of the room were a cork and pin board and a wipe board next to six large filing cabinets.

Shino turned his body so that he could get a good look at Relic, more than surprised at the sudden appearance of magic in the young man. Relic merely shrugged and said, "My mother made me learn it and my ex-girlfriend never cleaned so it would come in handy."

It was after this that the two settled themselves down for a long silent night of examining the details of the case which were brought in by the forensics team. Neither Shino nor Relic spoke a word to the other, preferring to just remain silent as they organized the details and memorized each part known of the case.

City Hall was still being examined but it wasn't Shino or Relic's job to examine it, so neither was allowed to be there. The injured were taken to the hospital to recover, and the dead were taken to the morgue to be examined. Mich Ichiro had been among the numbers of dead.

Finally, Relic pulled away from the work and looked at Shino who was busily rustling through some papers. He knew he had to say something, but it would have to be phrased carefully. He wasn't sure why, but he got the feeling that it wasn't just coincidence.

Licking his lips, he cleared his throat, attracting Shino's attention. Shino looked at him, but said nothing in acknowledgement. "Shino, I know it's strange, but don't you think it's rather odd that, besides the two Ichiro men, the only ones targeted were the men and women who Doctor Onigumo had hired to keep an eye on children?"

Shino appeared to be giving that full thought. Finally he wrote it down and stuck it on the cork board using a push pin and they continued working silently.


	17. Seventeenth Chapter

Note: For those who stuck with this story for so long, who loved it, and who hated the discontinuation of this story so adamantly reviewed in a measured attempt to bring this story back to life, I've decided to pick it out of the trash can. If it is drastically different than what it used to be, that's because it's been 3 years since I've written it and I like to think my writing style has developed since dropping the lump in the trash. Now that it is out of the trash, I can't guarantee it'll be 100 percent the same, and I definitely cannot guarantee a SessKag pairing though I can certainly try. I can guarantee several character deaths, and that's about it. Enjoy the revival of Sunset's Shrink. -TK

PS. I will NOT do disclaimers on this story.

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SS - Chapter 17

The wait at the hospital seemed to become ungodly long for Kagome. Her mother, grief stricken over the loss of her husband, seemed to finally lose herself. Kali had been put in the hospital, and with that turn of events (though no one blamed Kali) a morose sense of irony settled over the town. Kali Higurashi (recently blessed as Kali Ichiro), who had given so much of her life toward helping others, had just been hospitalized for what appeared to be an emotional breakdown.

Kagome was torn between wanting to be at her mother's side and wanting to be at her boyfriend's side. Kohaku was barely alive; the shot that hit him tore a hole through his right lung. He'd had respiratory problems from birth, so the doctors weren't sure he would live let alone wake from the deep coma he'd fallen into.

It was around three PM the day after the tragic wedding night when Detective Shino Takai and his assisting "Seed" Relic Johnson came to the hospital to question Kagome. When Kagome saw the detective, she felt instant gratitude toward the man. She felt glad to know that he was handling the case. If she hadn't already caught the assassin, she might have felt the need to involve herself in the case. At least she could feel comfortable that a competent man was taking care of things.

Although, she did have to admit when she thought about who she caught she felt sick to her stomach—as if something wasn't quite right… As if something were very, _very_ wrong with the picture that had been painted the night before.

Shino greeted her in a soft voice, also acknowledging Sango kindly. Sango sat holding one of Kohaku's hands, trying hard to keep from crying. The girl had just lost her father, and it appeared she would lose her younger brother too. Kagome wouldn't blame Sango if she did cry. Kagome had broken down into tears when she saw her mother had to be forcibly sedated just so she wouldn't hurt herself.

"How is your mother holding up?" Shino asked Kagome as she, the Detective, and the Seed excused themselves from Kohaku's hospital room. If Kagome's memory served her correctly, Shino had grown up with Kali. They had gone to the same high school, and Shino was a very close friend of Mich Ichiro—Sango's father.

It was a well known fact that Shino claimed bragging rights for Mich and Kali's union. He had premised it happening their senior year in high school. After high school, however, Kali went off to college and met Kagome's father. Now twenty years later, Kali and Mich did get married only to have Mich murdered the very day of the wedding.

Kagome shook her head in response to the question, leading the two men out into the lobby. "She's not doing very well. My aunt Maddy and my brother Souta are sitting in the room with her now, but the doctors had to sedate her."

"Your aunt?" Shino frowned. "If I recall correctly, Madison hated your mother."

"Mama and aunt Maddy weren't exactly best friends," Kagome said firmly, "but Maddy's always been there when mama needed her. She's there now, and she'll be there in the future."

Shino sighed and scratched his stubbly chin. "Alright, alright." He said. "It's just surprising to me, that's all. The Madison I recall wanted nothing to do with your mother." He shook his head sadly as Relic looked a bit confused.

Kagome let the man be confused, though even she was a bit confused by her aunt's presence. She'd always known she had an aunt, but Maddy never really visited and very little was heard about her. Her cousin Lea Saeko—the private investigator who had once pretended to be an art teacher—was Madison's daughter. If her mother spoke of her sister, it was only with great fondness, but at the same time those words were few. Her mother always said, "Maddy will come home when she's ready to."

Kagome never really understood that, but she supposed she never really questioned it more to try to understand. And now that her mother had essentially broken down, Kagome doubted she would get any answers any time soon. She had to be realistic, but she wasn't going to toss out the hope entirely. Her mother would get better… she had to. She helped so many others get better, so it was her turn, right?

As the silence stretched between the three, Shino cleared his throat slightly.

Kagome said, "What is it?" in a short, but not unkind, tone of voice.

"The suspect you apprehended is refusing to confess, and he is refusing to talk to anyone but the person who caught him…" Shino said finally.

"And you were hoping I would see if I can get some information out of him." She knew she was right even before he nodded. She agreed gladly. She wanted to know why any man would want to ruin her mother's life. She straightened her back and ran a hand through her hair, pushing her mental worries aside. She wouldn't be able to keep her head with the culprit if she allowed herself to think of her mother, her step-father, or her boyfriend.

"Yes," Shino said. "Relic looked up his background, but he's completely clean. There's nothing there that suggests he would do something like this. He hasn't even had a single parking or speeding ticket."

Kagome bit her lip for a moment, not truly thinking about what she'd just been told. Instead she was thinking about whether she should let her brother know she was going to the police station. Truthfully it was just across the street from the hospital, but common courtesy said she should let him know.

"I'll be right back, and then we can go to the police station." Kagome told the two. They nodded and she made her way back toward her mother's hospital room. She didn't let herself stay very long. Her aunt Maddy insisted on hugging her, though she was reluctant to return it.

Souta promised to tell Sango where Kagome was going, since she had no idea how long it would be before she came back. "Thanks, Pillow," she said, extracting a tiny smile from him as she used his old nickname. She hoped he knew she would always be there for him, no matter what happened with their mother, but having no words to put that feeling into, she just squeezed him in a tight hug and kissed his cheek.

"Gerroff me, ya loon," he breathed without any feeling behind his words. "Get going before they leave without ya."

She left, unable to look at her mother's sedated form. Things would get better, she told herself.

xXx

At the police station, Shino and Relic led her first into their small four-person office. The room that had been cleaned just the night before had piled up with files and papers and an assortment of other things. Relic's desk had a complex computer system on it which he immediately walked over to and sat at. Shino followed the young Seed, so Kagome walked after.

"The information," Relic began immediately, very businesslike despite his casual appearance, "I found on our culprit, James Hiatz, is right here." He began pulling up screens on his two-monitor computer system. "The only link he has to anything out of the ordinary is the fact that his sister Curinrin Legume adopted two government funded children. I can't do any more digging on the Legumes for history there; the government has protective shields everywhere around them."

"There's got to be something about him that isn't right…" Kagome insisted. "People don't just wake up and decide to kill someone. Did my mama know James Hiatz?"

"That's the thing," Shino said. "Without your mother to question, all we have to assume is no. Plus we're assuming the perp did this to get at Mrs. Onigumo. Its possible there was another target altogether."

"Do you mean the kidnappings?" Relic asked quietly.

Shino nodded as Kagome looked at them both sharply. "What kidnappings?" she asked them.

"Several children disappeared," Relic responded. "My daughter was among them… my daughter, and my ex-girlfriend."

Shino added, "The mayor, Gytha Motshuria, has her hands in the cases like everything else."

"She's completely senile if you ask me," Relic said. He then began typing away at his computer, pulling up god-knows-what sort of information.

"Tell me about these kidnappings?" Kagome asked. "What is this about?"

Relic pointed to his monitors where several files were popping up. "These are the missing children reports; all of them were at the party, but they couldn't be found afterward."

"Let me see this one…" Kagome said, pointing to one of the photos. Immediately the file came up and identified the picture. Her heart clenched; Miroku's youngest brother Chocolate was among the missing children.

Shino said, "He was the first reported missing; his brother said he hid the boy and a little girl who had gotten separated from her parents in the coat closet as he went to look for the rest of his brothers. He told them to stay and insisted that his brother would never disobey a direct order."

Kagome shook her head. "No, Miroku has his brothers trained to a tee. They listen when they're told to do something."

"You know him?" Relic asked.

Kagome nodded. "Chocolate Shishuni, youngest child to Atlanta Shishuni. Atlanta is an alcoholic now, and highly irresponsible, but her family got an invite to the reception because Miroku—her eldest—is a close friend of mine. Miroku's free-time is always spent either working or else taking care of his younger brothers, because Atlanta doesn't really take an interest in her kids' welfare. And since Miroku doesn't want his brothers to be split up, he stayed at home after high school to take care of them."

"I see," Shino said before frowning deeper than before.

"Why are you trying to dig further into the Legume's history? Surely you don't think they're at all involved, even if Curinrin's brother is the perp…" Kagome asked.

Relic said, "Because at the time of the first shots, Mich Ichiro, Curinrin Legume, Mrs. Ichiro, and your friend's mother Atlanta Shishuni were all in the same area. We have to investigate the possibility that Hiatz' intended target was his sister."

"What do the kidnappings have to do with anything at that point?" Kagome asked, curious that they were allowing her to ask so many questions even though she wasn't a part of the case. It was possible that Shino was hoping to bring her in to be a part of the case, but either way she was glad she was getting answers, however strange things seem to be.

"We're not sure." Relic added.

"Alright," Kagome began, ready for an answer she probably should have asked in the beginning. "Are you two the only ones working this case?"

Shino nodded. "As we already said, the Mayor has her hand in things right now. She's assigned this case to me and made me the new head of the Odd Cases department. Relic is the only Seed I'm allowed to have on my team, I guess because he wasn't getting along well in with the other Seeds. I have a budget to hire two more people, thus the two other desks in here."

Instantly Kagome realized where this was going, and she smiled. "Shino, you're as sly as your son."

"You know he gets it from me," Shino boasted a bit, before becoming more serious. "I know you, Kagome, and Relic has done some looking up on you; you're one of the best to graduate Snowsville and since graduation you've taken on and completed various assignments and cases for people. I want you to help us with this case. You said you were looking for busy work…"

Kagome stepped back for a moment, sizing up the man before her with respect. Her old rival's father was desperate for good help; he wasn't bothering with the application process. He was going directly to the person he wanted and asking for her help. It was just a very good thing she knew how to compartmentalize or else all her problems would be getting in the way of concentrating on the matter at hand.

"Here's the thing, Shino," she told him, "I've got a team I pay to help me solve the cases I work using the money my Grandfather left me in his will. So if I sign on to this case, you're signing both me and my team. If that's cool with you, great. My team would need to be allowed the same clearance you and I have. You pay me my hourly rate, and I pay them. If you agree with that, I'll sign my team up for the work. But just so you know, I'm not cheap."

And she wouldn't be, at least not in the case of working for the city. When she was just working for plain old lower class families, she would adjust her fee so they could afford her services without feeling like charity work but also without feeling robbed blind.

"Fine," Shino agreed, looking quite grateful especially at the thought of having additional help despite the pinched budget he was being allowed.

Kagome asked briefly, "Have you given any thought to who else you might hire?"

"As much as I hate to admit it, I think I might have to call in a favor of Lea Saeko again."

Kagome suggested, "A friend of mine, Keiko Yukimura, is in town looking for work. Graduated top of our class, and she and I have worked on a case or two together before. If you want to call in Lea, that's fine, but she's already attached to Snowsville police department for the next three months." Kagome's cousin had gone out of her way to keep in touch with Kagome, though Kagome wasn't sure why as she never knew about Lea until the woman showed up in art class one day. Then again, much of her aunt Madison's home life never reached Kagome's ears, so the fact that Kagome had a cousin wasn't quite as surprising after that was taken into account.

Shino said, "Thank you, I'll give it some thought. Yukimura, you said?" Kagome nodded. She knew they were going to research Keiko before bringing her on.

"She was the first to notice James in the rafters; she got there before I could, but ended up with a broken arm. If you don't hire her, I've already had plans on bringing her in with my team." It wasn't quite true; she'd offered to help Keiko get set up in her home town after finding out just how screwed up Keiko's home life had been back in Snowsville. Her plan was to give Keiko a fresh start and put in a good word for her around town. She wasn't really intending on hiring the girl she could barely get along with as her subordinate… Keiko was too strong willed to follow Kagome's orders. As an afterthought, Kagome added, "If I have to hire Keiko on, though, my fee will go up."

She thought if she said that, perhaps it would sway them from leaving it to her to hire Keiko.

Shino nodded, "I'll give this some thought; thank you." He told her. He then turned the conversation back to their prior subject. "I know it's asking a lot of you, but do you think you could talk to Hiatz now?"

Kagome nodded. She knew he felt indebted to her for taking the position, even though things were so hectic. Then again, with Kali being so famous, it was more surprising if someone in the town did not have some sort of connection to Kagome's family, and it was doubtful that anyone would not be affected somehow by what had occurred the night before.

They didn't live in a very large town. Without calling in outside help—and it seemed like the mayor wasn't going to allow that to happen (though how she had that sort of power, Kagome didn't know either)—they couldn't be picky or choosy over who worked the case.

"Here's Hiatz' information file," Relic said, handing over a manila file filled with all kinds of information on Hiatz that completely contradicted what he had done the night before. Kagome let Shino lead her to the holding room and glanced at the file.

She'd already known Hiatz was a history teacher at the private school in town. She'd had him as a teacher growing up, and he'd been among her favorite teachers. None of it seemed to make sense. He was a good Samaritan, constantly volunteering at various community functions like the hospital and the library. He even volunteered at the senior center.

Hiatz was a boy troupe leader, volunteered in the kitchens at the homeless shelter, and in the summer he worked at the pet shelter. Relic had managed to provide information on Hiatz' school report cards growing up; there was no report on anything before sixth grade, but seventh grade up until his graduation from college, Hiatz was a straight-A student who participated actively in extracurricular activities such as basketball and baseball all the way to chess and being an active member of the drama club.

It was remarkable what the Seed had turned up to put in the file, but then again that was what those technological geeks were for: finding information that normal people wouldn't manage. It wasn't that Kagome wouldn't have been able to hike that information, it was just that she would have taken much longer to find it because she would have done it by hand.

'That's what my team is missing,' Kagome thought. 'A Seed. A technology geek.' She briefly entertained the idea of finding one to hire. It was better to entertain that thought than to recall what she had to go back to when the day was over: her comatose boyfriend and emotionally broken mother.

Still, Relic had been able to turn up _nothing_ that would suggest James Hiatz had the capability to cause mass mayhem and destruction. That wasn't mentioning the fact that he had no gun in hand when Kagome caught him initially.

"Did you find any weapons?" Kagome asked Shino as they approached their destination.

Shino shook his head. "Like I said,"

Kagome spoke with him, already disliking the fact that she knew what he was going to say. "The mayor has her hand in things." She sighed in frustration. "What is that supposed to mean?" she asked Shino.

Shino said, "She won't let us at the crime scene to investigate. She said we have our killer; we don't need to do any further investigating."

Kagome scowled. "Whether she likes it or not, I'll be going to city hall and snooping around with my alchemist." Rather randomly, Kagome recalled that Sango was good at hacking into things she wasn't supposed to, but then reminded herself she had promised she wouldn't involve her old friends in the business unless they wanted to. That pretty much meant going without a Seed since she couldn't exactly put an ad in the paper reading, "Wanted: Hacker with mad skills."

"Your alchemist?" Shino asked.

"Hiei Emporia; he does forensics for me."

"What do your other team members do?" Shino inquired.

"Kagura Yuukaku helps Hiei with forensics sometimes, or if we have a case like recently where we had a child who witnessed murder, Kagura helps with psychiatry. In some cases, because I'm fairly hard on my vehicles, she's my mechanic… she's pretty flexible that way."

"And you had another one, right?"

Kagome nodded as they finally approached the door. "Yusuke Urameshi helps me out a lot with the grunt work, and from time to time, he does my hair and make-up for me." Shino looked confused and Kagome grinned. "I found him at a barber shop," she explained. When he still looked confused, Kagome said, "He's gay," as if that explained everything. It didn't, but Shino made a concerted effort at understanding at least.

Kagome took a deep breath, steeling herself for the confrontation she was about to make. However, opening the door, both Detective and Private Investigator were met with an unpleasant surprise.

No, it wasn't that their culprit had managed to kill himself, or that James had disappeared or anything fantastic like that. Instead, they found that James Hiatz' lawyer had arrived. It was a man that Kagome found familiar, yet simultaneously she couldn't quite put her finger on where she knew him from. His gold eyes glinted at her mysteriously and he smiled in a way that sent warning signals down her spine. He was one to look out for, definitely.

At the same time, he almost looked harmless as a kitten. His long silver hair swayed as he stood to introduce himself, holding his hand out to shake. "Hello, Detectives." The man said, glancing curiously at her manner of dress. That was when she realized she was still in her wedding gown, however 'altered'. She had her brother's tuxedo jacket on, but she certainly looked odd in the ripped gown.

Even still, she stood there confidently despite the fact that she'd ripped her gown above the knees in her haste to catch the culprit the night before. She was wearing heels still, and realized suddenly how uncomfortable the shoes were. She didn't let that show and looked sternly at the lawyer, who was distinctly labeled as a lawyer by his visitors' badge and the fact that he was in the same holding chamber as their suspect.

"Actually," Kagome said readily, "it's 'Investigator'. But I suppose the difference doesn't matter to you."

"Au contraire, my dear," he said easily, letting his hand fall to his side when neither of them accepted it. "It matters. And what might your name be?" She didn't really enjoy the way his tone seemed to slide around from condescending to complacent.

"Higurashi," she said. "Kagome Higurashi." She couldn't keep the glare from her face as her eyes fell on James who looked unconcerned over anything.

"Shino Takai," Shino said smoothly before asking, "And you?"

"I am Inutaishou Nokugami."

At the surname 'Nokugami' Kagome nearly skid to a halt mentally. She inquired, "As in the Nokugami family? Are you Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, and Yuri's uncle?"

"That's what they call me," Inutaishou said easily before grinning.

Shino asked, "And what do you call you?"

Inutaishou took a seat at the table beside his client once more before flashing that obviously trademark grin and saying, "Their father."

"Their father is Haru Nokugami," Kagome insisted before Shino held his hand up to stop her.

"We're not here to debate 'who's your daddy'. We're here to get to the bottom of who fired those shots last night." Shino insisted.

Kagome forcibly shoved aside any feelings she had toward the case as a person and immediately put on her business face. She wasn't there to play games or allow herself to get caught up in what she had to look forward to when the day was over. She was there to get to the bottom of why James thought he had to screw up Kali's life. It wasn't about Kagome, it was about the other people who were hurt by what happened.

"Indeed," Inutaishou said, his grin never fading even for a moment. "So, Detective… _Investigator_. Who fired those shots last night?"

Shino opened his mouth to speak, but Kagome opened the folder in her hand and cut off the older man, her eyes on the unconcerned man picking at his nails. He looked just the same as he used to back in high school when a student would ask if they missed an assignment while they were out sick.

"Hiatz, you specifically asked for me, didn't you." It wasn't a question because Shino had stated quite clearly that Hiatz did in fact ask for her. He had said Hiatz wouldn't talk to anyone but his arresting officer. Hiatz didn't even glance up at her. "If you asked for me, then start talking."

After a brief silence, Inutaishou said, "What has my client to say to anyone? He is innocent. If you stopped wasting time, you could have caught the real perpetrator by now."

Kagome said, "Shut up, Nokugami!" with a scowl intact on her face as she glared at the lawyer. She looked back at Hiatz. She opened her mouth to speak, but she was interrupted by the man she wanted to address.

His green eyes came up and met Kagome's sternly. He leaned forward and, most likely against the advice of his lawyer, said, "I didn't pull the trigger. Not once." Kagome frowned, wondering why he would frame his words in that manner. Why not just say 'I'm innocent'? Hiatz leaned back again and added, "I'm innocent."

Kagome could feel her blood boiling despite the fact that she had told herself she wouldn't let things affect her; despite the fact that she wanted to just be professional and nothing more.

"Then why the hell did I catch you up on that roof? Why would you be there to begin with? And why—why!—is my mother's husband dead? Why is my boyfriend dying, and my mother…" she was so angry she couldn't even finish that sentence.

Shino placed a hand on her shoulder as if hoping that would calm her down. It did, but only enough that she could keep from screaming her head off. It didn't stop her from being angry and glaring at Hiatz.

Inutaishou commented lightly, "Really, Detective Takai, you should know better than to bring in someone so close to the situation."

"No one in this city is more capable of handling things," Shino insisted.

His words backfired instantly. "Then perhaps you should think of seeking help elsewhere?"

Kagome nearly shot across the table as her temper got the better of her. Shino had to drag her out of the room before she could do more damage than simply giving Inutaishou a black eye. She wanted to do so much more than that, but once they were out of the room, Shino immediately reprimanded her.

"This is no time to be temperamental, Kagome." He told her. "He is not my son. If you hit him, I can not just look the other way!"

Kagome pursed her lips, trying to force her rage to fetter out. When it wouldn't, she said, "I should go get a change of wardrobe."

Shino agreed readily. "Yes, you should. If you come back, I'll expect you to act nothing short of professional; that means even if you're affected personally, I need you to remain sensible. I don't care what you have to do to be that way, but you better be."

Kagome said nothing, but left the police station in a huff, surprised they didn't arrest her for her temper and for punching the lawyer. Then again, she couldn't hear the lawyer screaming for blood either; he probably knew he deserved it as much as she felt he did.

xXx

Raine no longer felt tension inside her when the police raided her house. 'I need a new place to hide these girls,' Raine thought, wishing she had someone she could trust enough to impose two innocent suspects upon, but her resources were limited. Sure, she had contacts in the D.V. underground, but she didn't trust them as far as she could throw them.

She also didn't have a wide variety of friends or even acquaintances outside of the D.V. underground due to the fact that she was a recluse. She had a boyfriend, but Relic Johnson was a part of the police department, so she really couldn't trust him to keep the Motshuria girls secret. He might only be a Seed, and he definitely knew her abilities with technology exceeded the level she pretended to be at, but she still couldn't trust him with the girls.

But when the police raided her house, Raine came to a decision. She needed some place to hide the girls, and it had to be somewhere that would be safe for them—safer than the hidden room in the basement.

She watched as more of Rin's expensive fabrics were destroyed and finally the idea came to her. She glanced at her twin, wondering if it would work. The largest problem would be sneaking the girls out of the house with it being under 24-hour surveillance. The money would not be hard to come by; Rin's sewing skills paid a high price for its perfect quality, and Raine could easily sell a few things in the D.V. underground and make a hefty profit to cover any costs.

Eventually the police left again, but it felt like forever had come and gone until that time. When they were gone, Raine smiled at her sister pleasantly, speaking a bit louder than her normal tone so that the hidden girls could hear her as well. "Riny, my dear, we should go out to lunch."

Rin said, "Alright," and tapped twice on the door to her fabric cabinet. The loud raps were simple, and also meant to warn the girls not to come out—without saying anything aloud.

They left the Legume residence—home of their foster parents—and Raine drove their foster mother's car into town. Silence stretched along the way; the car was bugged like the house so neither dared to talk there.

Pulling up to a small café and parking the car, Raine noticed a car with two conspicuous characters in it pulling into a parking spot a few cars behind them. A glance at her sister told her Rin had also noticed.

"Come on, Rainy," Rin said. "I'm tired of these guys following us. Can't they just go away?" Rin's naivety was feigned; Rin had never been stupid, and never would be.

Raine huffed slightly as they got out of the vehicle. "Well, they can bet their asses they're going to get sued for property damages. And all these raids can't be legal. We should talk to an attorney—find out what our rights are as far as this goes. Today they wrecked a very important robot prototype I was working on, and yards of your fabric will have to be wasted again."

Raine walked around the car and stepped onto the sidewalk, her tennis shoes slipping on the slushy snow. How Rin managed heels was beyond her grasp. "It's just, I don't know…" Rin continued, both of them knowing their conversation was being listened to. "I don't know if I ever saw the warrant they claimed to have to search our house."

"I know I haven't. Like I said, we'll want to talk to an attorney as soon as we can and I think I know just the guy we need." Raine led her sister into the café, responding to her sister's questioning glance with a smirk. "Inutaishou Nokugami. He's gotta be the best damn lawyer in the country, or at least according to Relic."

"Oh…" Rin frowned, her mechanical half of her brain was probably calculating the odds of how likely it was that the best lawyer in the country would exist specifically in Sunset.

"And—bonus!" Raine chirped, "The police themselves _cringe_ at the sight of Nokugami. That's gotta mean something, right?" Yes, Raine thought. Let the police start worrying, but the knowledge wouldn't do them any good. All Raine needed was something to distract the police so she could slip the girls out of her house.

Rin shook her head, sighing as they ordered two lattes and went and sat at a table. "I don't know, Raine," she began, "he must be awful high priced…"

"Don't you worry about price, Rin." Raine said seriously, knowing full well their listeners could still hear them clearly. It wouldn't be hard for her to piece together something that would interfere with their signals, but she didn't on account of not wanting to risk herself being found out as very technologically capable. "I'll figure something out, and if nothing else, he's a man. All men are weak toward the wiles of a woman."

"But Relic," Rin objected. "He wouldn't," Raine waved her hand in dismissal.

"Relic Johnson is nothing more than a way for me to relieve my tensions; that's all he's ever been." Her heart clenched to say that. It was as far from the truth as she could possibly get, but after harboring two fugitives—despite the two girls did nothing wrong—she was an accessory to murder. How much she cared for Relic didn't matter at that point. Changing the subject at Rin's hard expression, Raine said, "I managed to get a hold of the realtors, by the way. They're ready for us to move into our shop, and the apartment is finished being redone."

Another sigh escaped the cyborg. At length, Rin nodded. "Alright, I'll start packing my fabrics up for transportation. Did you want me to start packing your wiring thingies?"

Raine wrinkled her nose in dismay, "Absolutely not. I'll do it myself. You'd think you of all people would know they're not 'wiring thingies', they're electronic devices. Nothing hard to remember about that."

Rin just shook her head. She was a cyborg, but Raine knew all that stuff. While she could just store knowledge in her electronic brain of this stuff, she chose not to. She trusted Raine to know everything she required.

Silence enveloped the twins, and as Raine observed her miracle sister, she knew the other was thinking about the shooting the night before at city hall. After a long moment, Raine put her hand on Rin's. "Don't think. Don't analyze it. It's beyond logic."

xXx

Kagome stormed furiously into her apartment, the door practically slamming off its hinges as she did. Inside the apartment, her two adopted kids awaited her return with the members of her team. Upon seeing her, Kanna tore across the room and flung her arms around her. Somewhat uncertainly, Kagome returned the hug. She could only hope that seeing them all didn't make her break into uncontrollable sobs.

'My emotions won't get to me,' she assured herself, though it was mostly fruitless. Her eyes did tear up, but she could keep it in at least. "Hey, baby girl," she said affectionately using the child's nickname. She rubbed the girl's shoulders and she could feel the sobs that wracked the small body.

"It was so scary!" Kanna said.

Kagome peeled herself away from Kanna to look at the girl, bending down on one knee and looking up into that pale face. She used her thumb to smooth away free flowing tears. Despite how Kanna had the uncanny ability to sometimes be completely void of all emotion, despite her snowy hair and ghostly skin, Kanna was just as emotional as any other child when she got overwhelmed.

"It was _very_ scary," she agreed, not about to deny that what happened the night before had been frightening. She had probably been scared too—the only difference was that she couldn't remember being scared. She reacted on impulse, knowing she needed to go after the shooter. "But being scared makes us mortal."

She was interrupted by a voice behind her, unable to continue further. "As wonderfully touching as this scene is…" the voice drawled in an unbelievably sarcastic tone Kagome couldn't ever not recognize if it meant her life.

She turned her head, glaring at the intruder standing in her doorway. "Sesshoumaru, what do you want?" Of course, the guy just had to pick then to show up. Not only was she having to deal with an already stressful day and hadn't slept in over twenty-four hours, and Kanna and Shuichi (though the red-haired boy would never admit it) needed to talk about what occurred… not only was her world crashing around her ears with a boyfriend in a coma and potentially knocking on death's door, and her mother was forcibly sedated, but now Sesshoumaru showed up.

Truly she was surprised the guy was there, but then again her roommate was Sesshoumaru's girlfriend so it should've been less surprising. He stared emotionlessly at her for a long moment, but Kagome refused to budge until he talked, so he was given no chose. She could be more stubborn than anyone he'd ever met.

"I need to speak with you. Privately," he added when her eyes told him to say his peace.

Yusuke stuffed his hands in his pockets and stepped forward, glaring at Sesshoumaru fiercely. "Whatever you have'ta say, just say it," Yusuke said, sensing Kagome was at her breaking point, or very near it. That boy had always been sensitive to Kagome's moods, and Kagome attributed it to his sexual preference.

Still, Kagome sighed and hugged Kanna, kissing the pale girl's cheeks. "I'll be back soon, okay?" she told the girl. Mutely, the girl agreed and went and curled up on the couch. Kagome watched as Shuichi watched Kanna for a long moment before biting his lip and then joining the girl on the couch. Without anything said between the two young teens, the girl shifted until she could use the boy's thigh as a pillow and Shuichi pet Kanna's hair.

Kagome glanced back at Sesshoumaru again. "I need to change. Give me a minute." He agreed and waited for her in the hallway. Kagome shed her shoes and shut the door of the apartment. Her team followed her to the loft at her beckoning. As she changed into a comfortable pair of jeans and a hoodie, she said, "We've been hired to work for Shino Takai. I know I usually give you guys the option, but this case deals with what happened last night and I _have_ to take it."

Kagura snapped her fan open and shut hurriedly, her red eyes glinting. She was furious over the fact that her idol had been hurt by what happened. Not only that, but Kagome was like a sister to her, and Kagome was hurting even more by the events. "You're damn right, you have to!" Kagura hissed before forcing herself to remain calm.

Kagome grasped her badge and her gun, attaching both to her belt. Trading nylons for socks, she looked at her team. "Do you all feel that way?" she asked more out of curiosity than anything.

As the other two nodded, Hiei affirmed, "Kagome, if I have to fuck you to prove it, I will."

Kagura slapped him on the back of the head. "If you do that, I won't let you sleep with me, you brat!" she snapped at him. His crimson eyes landed on his girlfriend, irritated for a moment before he took a step away from her, putting enough distance between them that she wouldn't be able to hit him again.

Kagura held up her fan, lips pursed and eyes narrowed. Snapping the fan open, she said, "Watch it, Hiei. Or you'll be so sore, you won't want to even sleep on the couch."

Hiei winced, but said nothing. Yusuke shook his head at the lover's spat and said, "I don't think you should go with that guy, Kags."

Kagome stuffed her wallet in her back pocket. "I'll be fine, Yusuke. Sesshoumaru is just a rich brat I knew from school." She glanced at the apprehensive Hiei (he was still glancing nervously at his girlfriend from the corner of his eye) and asked, "Hiei, can you get on the horn and contact Keiko? She'll probably be at the hospital still, but let her know Shino Takai is looking for help on his case. I put in word for her, but he'll want to meet her."

Hiei nodded. Kagura snapped her fan closed again. "What would you like us doing?"

Kagome thought for a moment before taking her wallet out again, giving Kagura her bank card. "We're going to need a vehicle. I wasn't going to get one, preferring to walk or grab a cab, but this case might require it. Use your discretion, but no gas guzzlers please."

One of Kagura's perfectly sculpted eyebrows lifted and she took the card with a brief nod. "New or used?" she inquired.

"Up to you, but nothing flashy. Discrete is best." Kagome turned her blue eyes on Yusuke. "Can you take care of Shuichi and Kanna while I'm gone? I know they're old enough to do it themselves, but make them something to eat and see if you can get them to sleep. I doubt they got any more than any of us did last night."

Yusuke sighed. "Damn. I was hopin' for somethin' better'n this," he mumbled. Scratching his head, he agreed.

Kagome started for the stairs out of the loft. "When you've contacted Keiko," she said to Hiei, "then get your kit together. We need to look around City Hall. I know it'll be a big job for you but…"

Hiei glared at her, mildly annoyed at the insinuation. "I can _handle_ it." He stated.

Once downstairs, Kagome walked to the couch and looked at the two kids. Shuichi had dark rings under his beautiful green eyes, and Kanna had bright tear stains on her pale cheeks. Kneeling in front of the couch, both sets of eyes fixed on her as her friends in the loft moved to the wall and looked down at her and the two kids.

"I'll be back soon," she told them, running a hand through Kanna's mussed white hair. She knew she had to say _something_, but once more the events of the long day was messing with her. Her mind was blank. Opening and closing her mouth several times, she finally settled with simply taking their hands and squeezing them gently. "I've been through worse," she told the kids, her heart feeling heavy as she whispered the words. "We'll make it. All of us."

Standing, Kagome made her way to the door, opening it and finding Sesshoumaru waiting stiffly outside in the hall. Calling back to Hiei, she said, "Hurry up, Hiei. I'll meet you at city hall." She didn't wait longer before closing the apartment door. Sesshoumaru was already halfway down the hall. Quickly she caught up. "What is it, Sesshoumaru?" she demanded, hardly inclined to use his surname.

He remained silent, leading her out of the building and to an expensive looking car of a very new model. She wouldn't be surprised if he'd spent a grand on it. He opened the passenger side door and indicated she get in. She slid into the seat, purposefully letting her hoodie bunch up to show her badge and gun to the man. After all, she couldn't be certain she could trust him. Then again, there were so few out there she could trust anymore… Her mother, loved and trusted by all, had been put in the hospital by the act of hate.

Once she was in, Sesshoumaru shut the door and went to the driver's side. By the time he had slid in, she getting impatient. "What is this about, Sesshoumaru? I've got a long day ahead of me." He buckled and started the car, saying nothing. "Sesshoumaru!" she insisted. "I don't have time for this."

"Buckle up. Now." He told her, driving off into traffic.

Nerves grating, she did so. "You better not be kidnapping me, Sesshoumaru. I've been there, done that. It's not a repeat I would enjoy."

Sesshoumaru chuckled darkly. "And if I were?" he commented, sending shivers down her spine. She wasn't sure she liked this, but it was too late to back out now. Turning a corner out of the city, he sped up on the country road. She realized those shivers were related to her unease over the situation.

"Sesshoumaru, I'm not kidding. Where are we going? If you don't tell me," she warned slightly, letting him come to his own conclusions. When he did nothing but keep driving faster than the speed-limit, she scowled and took her phone out. The car didn't even swerve as he snatched the phone from her. She dove for it, which was when the car _did_ swerve, but he opened his window and threw it out in the snow covered ground. They were lucky not to hit a patch of ice.

"Didn't know you wanted me so bad," he drawled in a slightly humored tone, and she realized her hand was between his legs. Blushing furiously (unable to tell if it was embarrassment or anger that caused it) she sat proper in her seat.

"If you don't tell me where we're going in thirty seconds, I'm going to open the door and leave."

"Jump out of a vehicle moving sixty-five miles an hour?" he inquired.

"Yes, I would. I've suffered worse injuries." She retorted.

"How _did_ you survive those injuries you sustained?" He was talking about the injuries that had caused her to end up in the hospital back in Sunset recently.

She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to divulge that information, but she did anyway. "My father was a shape-shifter, and so am I. At will, I can reshape my body." She left it at that and he asked no more on it. She wasn't about to tell him her secret to surviving; she'd never told anyone, ever, how she figured out how to protect herself and keep herself alive. Narrowing her eyes at Sesshoumaru, she said, "You're buying me a new phone."

"Why?" he asked. "It isn't like you haven't got money. You inherited more than a hundred million dollars from your father."

Scowling further, she felt her anger beginning to boil. Her day had been shitty enough. She did not need this. She was about to snap at him when ahead of them on the road she could see a procession of vehicles parked on the edge of the road in front of what she recognized to be her grandfather's old run-down mansion on the outskirts of Sunset. Knowing there weren't supposed to be vehicles there, her face wrinkled in confusion.

They slowed down and parked behind a flashy red car. Before getting out, he asked, "So, how did you go from being human, to being half-breed?"

"Interesting story for another day, perhaps," Kagome said. She got out and looked up at her grandfather's old mansion. It was in worse shape than any of the ones he'd owned in any other country. Unlike the ones in Belgium, Germany, and Finland, this one didn't appear to have received any upkeep for over two decades. The shutters were falling off and the windows were cracked and broken. The wrap-around porch's railing was crumbling and some of the many doors had been boarded up.

Wondering what she would find in that decrepit, putrid green house covered in boards and dead ivy, she started toward it. Sesshoumaru was already headed up the stone walk, the snow having been tromped down by many shoes or a few shoes many times. He hardly seemed to care that he didn't actually have her permission and was therefore trespassing. Then again, she hadn't voiced a protest.

The sooner she got this over with, the sooner she could meet Hiei at city hall and get back to Shino's confined little office at the police station. She was determined not to break again like she had that morning. Yet still, her eyes felt moist as she thought of why exactly she had burst out.

She told Shuichi and Kanna that she'd been through worse than the shooting, but it was untrue. Her boyfriend was dying, her mother had lost it and had to be sedated, and her step-father was dead. She'd always been close to Kohaku and Sango's dad, having spent many hours at his dojo. He had taught her everything she knew about fighting—well, everything legit, anyway. She'd picked up a few dirty tricks here and there on her own.

But she'd never actually dealt with anything this horrible.

Determined to make it through this, she picked up the pace, approaching the house alongside Sesshoumaru. Kohaku and her mother would make it through. They _had_ to. But either way, Kagome was going to make the one responsible for all this pay dearly.

* * *

I can't say when I'll get the next chapter of this out. Feel free to leave feedback. I'd like to know how different this chapter ended up being from those before it.


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